


Man's Best Friend (Book 2)

by FantasyFreedom



Series: Alex Taylor [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-22 17:58:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 30,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10702167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyFreedom/pseuds/FantasyFreedom
Summary: Alex Taylor is eagerly going into her second year at Hogwarts, along with her best friend Ginny Weasley. With more secrets piling up, new magical discoveries, and an escaped convicted murderer seemingly after the Boy-Who-Lived, her tensions grow. No one seems to believe her claims that Sirius Black is innocent and now she finds herself taking care of a stray dog that is just another weight on her untold truths. [Complete]





	1. Chapter 1

Ch1

I stare wide-eyed at the bustling street and all the strange shops and people. They shuffle along bumping into others or dragging a reluctant child.

I have been on this muggle street many times before and seen the same things many times before, but every time I'm fascinated.

They all wear different kinds of clothes, all different colors and different types. Frilly, long, short, stiff, plain, loud, strange, unnoticeable.

None of them use magic or seem to even be aware that it exists. They carry or do things that can also be done with magic, but no wizard or witch would ever think to come up with something of the sort.

Muggles are fascinating. They don't need magic to live, unlike the most basic of witches.

But they dream of magic and monsters.

I turn on the sidewalk and walk into one of the small shops. It's small and smells of dust, but it has the most fascinating things.

Lying across some shelves are mini statues of unicorns and dragons and fairies, though those don't look much like the actual fairy.

I run my fingers over the dusty spines of books and over other old looking things.

"Can I help you?" an old man asks, appearing around a shelf with round spectacles perched on his long nose.

"No thank you," I reply. "I'm just looking."

He gives a little dip of his head and disappears again around the rack, fiddling with an old rag. The lowering sun casts an orange glow around the shop, lighting up tiny dust particles floating in the air.

I make my way back out to the busy streets and the long walk back home.

The sky is completely dark by the time the manner comes into view and I stumble tiredly up the stone steps.

I wince as the large oak door creeks as I push it open and wait stiffly for any other noise.

I squeeze my body through the small crack in the main door and pull off my shoes so I can walk more softly through the stone halls.

A light overhead snaps on, the chandelier swinging menacingly from the ceiling.

My father stands at the foot of the stairs with a fierce expression, his blue eyes cold and almost turned black.

"Where have you been?" He demands, fists clenching at his sides.

"N-nowhere. Just around the castle!" My hands tighten around the straps hanging from my shoulder, trembling.

His eyes dart to my bag and he rips it from my arms, sending the contents to the ground.

Muggle things spill to the chilly stone, clattering and echoing around the hollow room.

"You've been to the muggle world." He says dangerously, eyes shooting icy flames and I stumble back as he strides forward.

"How many times have I told you not to go there and how many times have you disobeyed me!"

A sting in my cheek has me sprawling to the ground, hands slapping to catch myself.

Tears prick in an involuntary reaction but I quickly blink them away. My jaw aches and the taste of copper teases my tongue.

My cheek had split from his powerful blow and my head spins.

"I'm sorry!" I gasp, cradling my flaming face.

"If you were, you wouldn't continue to sneak out; I ought to send you to live with the Muggles if you love them so much. You and that disgraceful rat of a cat!" He shouts, referring to my tiny grey tabby cat, Astrid, who I had gotten last year right before school started.

Just being a little bigger than my hand, she had barely grown at all since I had first bought her at the wizardry pet store, Magical Menagerie.

She was a runt little thing there, hastily looked over, like me, and instead of getting an honorable eagle-owl like my father was expecting me to, I got her- the one everyone thought that wouldn't last.

I named her Astrid, Norse for divine strength.

He was not pleased when I returned home after the school year, with the tiny she cat. However upset he was about Astrid though, was diminished some to learn that I had indeed been put into the Slytherin House like all the fathers and mothers before him, leading all the way back to when Hogwarts was first formed by its founders.

But what I didn't tell him is that the Sorting Hat originally wanted to put me in Gryffindor, the house my mother was in, but I had begged the magic hat to put me in my father's House.

It was through that strange year of people being petrified and investigation of the Chamber of Secrets that I learned the Heir of Slytherin's true identity.

It was Tom Riddle, who's memory was infused in a diary fifty years ago, and was put in my best friend's cauldron for her to write in.

The diary started taking over her soul and controlling her into opening the Chamber.

Me and my other friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, stopped Tom Riddle and found out that he is Lord Voldemort before he became one of the most powerful Dark wizards in history.

To me, he is also known as Grandfather.

But only Professor Dumbledore and I know this little fact, and I plan on never telling, especially to Harry whose parents were killed by him.

"I'm sorry." I repeat to my father, hoping that my punishment would be over sooner than usual; I want to see if I had gotten any word on Harry, who had run away after blowing up his aunt.

Well, inflated her. Not like- splat, auntie chunks are everywhere.

My dad's face twists and his foot snaps out, kicking me in the stomach and making me gag and choke.

I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts and only have to deal with Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy's beatings.

My father storms away, wizard robes swishing behind him.

I could probably go forever without him laying a hand on me, if I would just do what he says.

Don't leave the mansion, don't talk to the house elves unless giving them a command, don't go into his study, don't go into the kitchen.

But all these things I have done and refuse to stop doing.

Maybe I like defying him or maybe I'm just a masochist.

There is a snap, like a whip cracking against a horse's flank, and a small brown wrinkly hand touches my shoulder.

"Miss Alex," the high squeaky voice of a house elf says. "You should listen to your father, or he continues to hurt you."

"I'm okay, Lena." I tell the small elf, sitting up with strained difficulty, coughing. "You shouldn't be helping me, he'll punish you if he sees."

"Then he punishes me. Miss Alex needs help."

I sigh as she helps me to my feet the best she can. I try very hard to put as little weight as I can on her small frame.

"Thank you Lena."

She guides me up the stairs, through halls where the ground turns to thick plush carpet, and to my room.

I had chosen the smallest room in the house, but it still stands far to big and open spaced.

I wince falling onto the bed, carful to miss my kitty curled up in the middle.

"Miss Alex needs to stay here. I will get you ice."

I close my eyes as she pops out of the room with a crack, and I feel suddenly drowsy with the familiar smell of my room wafting around me.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2

I startle awake when something cold touches my cheek and stare into the large brown eyes of the old house elf.

Only a minute must have passed since my eyes closed, but the ice is enough to shake me into wakefulness.

Lena squeaks and jerks her hand away.

"I am sorry for waking Miss Alex."

I smile ruefully and tug softly on one of her large ears.

"Now stop that. You know I would never hurt you, you practically raised me." She smiles sheepishly and goes to put the ice pack back on my swollen cheek.

"You are too kind Miss Alex, it is my job." The cold numbs the slight throbbing, but I don't like the cold.

"When I become the owner of the manor, I'm going to set all of you free."

"Oh no, Miss Alex, we do not want that!"

"You can stay if you want, but it will be your choice. You should get to choose, do what you want. But if you do want to stay, of course I'll pay you and you get days off. You will be my equal."

Lena's smile is almost sad. "You will be a very good witch when you grow up. Kind, strong."

"Oh, no, I'm a Slytherin," I tease. "This is strictly for my own benefit you know."

"I feel that you would not do well in that House." She worries, tugging at my short hair.

She had been shocked speechless when I came home from school, and she saw that my once long light brown hair had been all chopped off and styled sort of like a boy's.

My father looked almost pleased with it; I know that he wanted a boy instead of a girl.

"Can you keep a secret Lena?" I ask, knowing that she would never betray me, even to my father.

She dips her head, ears flopping noisily.

"I was supposed to be in Gryffindor, but I asked to be in Slytherin."

Her large eyes widen even more. "Why, Miss?"

I smile wryly, taking the ice from my face- it's been on there long enough.

"You know my father, everyone in the family has been in the Slytherin House since it was first created. It's an honor." I sneer then drop back into a frown. "It would be like a slap in the face if I were in Gryffindor."

"But your mother was Gryffindor; you are very much like her."

"That's exactly why." I sigh. "I wish she were still alive."

Lena's brown eyes fill with tears as she looks sadly down at me, not saying anything.

"You should get some rest, Miss Alex, you are sleepy."

"Yes," I sigh but then sit up quickly. "Hey Lena, have I gotten any letters?"

"A very tired owl came by just after you snuck out." She says padding over to my desk and pulling off an envelope. "He passed out. It took him hours to be okay to fly off."

"Errol! Thank you Lena. I promise I'll go to bed after I read this."

She nods after handing it to me, and pops out of the room.

I rip it open excitedly; I haven't heard much from my best friend, Ginny, over the summer because her family won some draw in the Daily Prophet. The nine Weasley's have been spending the last month in Egypt.

It's been quite lonely over the summer because my other friend also spent her summer in France.

The only one of my friends that is still in the country is Harry and we've been sending owls back and forth.

But then he blew up his aunt, ran away, and I haven't heard anything from anyone in a week.

Dear Alex,

We just got back from Egypt and we're going down to the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow. We're going to meet Harry there and I was hoping if you haven't gotten all your stuff yet, you could meet us too.

I can't wait to see you again!

-Ginny

So Harry has been okay; he's been at the Leaky Cauldron. At least he's alright.

I'll have to ask, though, if I can stay the night tomorrow, I was already planning on going. And maybe I can get there early...

My eyes, that have gotten heavy again, close as I slump against my pillows and I fall into a dreamless sleep.

...

In a flash of green fire, I stumble into the Leaky Cauldron, coughing and sputtering ash.

My trunk practically falls over on me as I fall to my hands and knees.

Tom, the guy I met last year when I went to get my things, pulls me up from the collar on the back of my shirt.

"Hello, Alexis, you're father said you were coming." He says, dusting soot from my clothes- I hadn't bothered getting into wizard robes. "Right then, follow me, your room's right up here."

I follow the older wizard up the winding stairs in the back, him lugging my trunk every step, until we reach a small, dusty smelling room.

There is a twin-sized bed, a dresser, a full-length mirror, and enough room to put my truck down and walk three paces in either direction.

It's perfect.

"Thank you." I say earnestly, but he just raises an eyebrow.

"Have the Weasley's come in yet? And do you know where Harry went?"

"Oh, you're that bloke's friend too? Yeah they all went out to Diagon Alley."

"I better go find them then." I sigh and follow Tom out of the room and back down to the bar. "Thanks again!" I call as I head out the back door and tap on the bricks with my wand.

The noise hits me like a wave, loud and chaotic, full of last minute school shopping.

I push through the crowd, trying my best not to jostle the shoulder my tiny kitty is clutching onto for dear life.

A flash of red hair has me shoving forward with renewed excitement and I call out.

Three people turn as I trip over an uneven stone and the ground rushes up into my face, Astrid's claws drawing blood as she yowls in my ear.

Arms catch me before I can face plant and a giggle is heard over my head.

I look up grinning. "Hermione!" I say regaining my feet. "How was France?"

She had caught me with one arm because to other is occupied with a very large lion of a cat.

My attention is drawn away as Astrid nips me sharply on the neck.

"Ow, okay, I'm sorry!" I say pulling my cat from my shoulder and handing her to a confused faced Ron.

Hermione continues smiling as she dumps the large cat into Harry's arms. He slumps, surprised under the sudden weight.

"It was so cool! There was all this wizard history there that I was really able to use for my summer homework- though I'm quite jealous of Ron, he got to see the ruins! And I- hey what happened to your face?" She says touching my bruised cheek.

"Oh that," I blush. "You know me, just a klutz."

"But it looks almost like a hand print."

"Well I can't fathom why." I say shifting nervously.

I turn a glare to Harry to move on from the subject.

"And you!" I say punching him as hard as I can in the shoulder.

"Ow!" He says, dropping the cat. He hisses at him before launching back into Hermione's arms. "What was that for?!" He asks rubbing the spot that I had hit him.

"Because I was worried sick after you blew up your aunt and ran away; you didn't write me to tell me you were okay! I only found out that you were yesterday when Ginny wrote me!"

He blushes embarrassedly as people turn to stare.

"I'm sorry," he says and I roll my eyes.

"Boys are so stupid." I growl, plucking my kitten away from Ron as he looks at me offended.

"What about you, you're practically a boy already!" He says indignantly.

"I'm a girl!" I say furiously.

"So you say." He teases more playfully this time and I stomp in frustration.

"Where's Ginny?" I huff as he laughs at me- I had become better friends with Harry and Ron after I helped Harry save Ginny last year miles below the school in the Chamber of Secrets.

Ron had become especially friendlier with me since the time I first met him when he called me a 'soul sucking snake' for being in Slytherin.

"She's in Flourish and Blotts," Hermione says kindly, but her lips are twitching like she wants to laugh.

I stomp away in a much fouler mood than I originally arrived in.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch3

I push inside the magical bookstore, ignoring the loud cage of books shredding each other, and scan the rows for a familiar longhaired redhead. The shorthaired one can go walk in a dragon's den for all I care- it would serve him right.

"'Practically a boy' he says, 'can't tell' he says." I mutter grumpily.

"Alex!" A voice says as arms wrap around me from behind.

I stumble, uttering a small squeak.

"Ginny!" I say, mood brightening considerably and twist around to hug her.

She laughs pulling back to hold me at arms length. "Look at you, you're the size of a normal first year."

I scowl pulling back. Unlike me, Ginny had grown a few inches during the summer and as she said, I'm now the size of a first year. I'm going into my second year thank you very much.

"You and your brother are a bunch of bullies."

She grins. "Wait until Fred and George get a look of you."

"You keep those demon twins away from me," I grimace. "They will try to slip something into my food and I do not feel like having a chipmunk voice on the train to Hogwarts."

"That would be hilarious." A voice says as a tall flaming red head pops over the top of a shelf. Another identical one pops up beside it.

"But no-"

"We've already done that one to you."

"It will probably be something else." Says the other.

I stare in horror as they come around the tall bookshelves in every way identical down to the evil smiles and the mischievous glints in their eyes.

"Oh, look Fred, she's as tiny as ever."

"Yes, George, it's like she hasn't grown at all."

"You're George," I say pointing to the one who just claimed the other to be.

"Oh, and just as bright!" Fred says smiling.

Ginny giggles beside me.

"She's like a kitten-"

"Like a tiny kitten-"

"Like Astrid!" They say together as Fred plucks my cat from my shoulder. I scowl as they continue on back and forth talking about how small and 'cute' and 'kitten-like' I am.

"That should be her nickname." One says and the other ponders it with dramatic seriousness.

"No!" I shout, drawing attention from some of the other customers, as my face becomes suddenly hot.

"Yes, I think so too. Let's go brother- bye Ginny; bye Kitten!"

My friend continues to giggle beside me as I open and close my mouth in humiliation as the twins set my scrambling cat on my head.

Mrs. Weasley, a plump older witch, rounds the shelves and smiles at seeing me.

"Ah, Alex!" She says striding forward.

I had only met Ginny's mom once, just after helping save her daughter from the Chamber of Secrets, but she greets me with a hug.

"Hello dear, how have you been? We never really got the chance to properly talk; you rushed right out of Kings Cross at the end of the year."

"I'm sorry, it's just that my father is awfully impatient."

She nods in easy understanding before concern fills her eyes as she catches sight of my cheek.

"What happened?" She asks touching it gingerly.

I wince slightly. "I fall a lot." I tell her and she hums.

"Well, you must be more careful. Have you gotten your books; we just paid for Ginny's."

"No, not yet." I say and she smiles.

"Well, you go ahead and get them, we can wait."

"Thank you," I say, hastily going to search for the Standard Book of Spells Grade 2 and the others on my list.

I slouch under the weight of all my books, following the two female Weasleys out the door and to a shop that can renew our potions supply.

By the time all my stuff is bought, I'm very grateful for not having Care of Magical Creatures class and have to lug around the Monster Book of Monsters.

"Oh, dear, let Percy carry those for you; you're much too small..." Mrs. Weasley says, and I flush scarlet as she takes my books from me and dumps them into the oldest boy's, who is currently going to Hogwarts, arms.

Fred and George snicker at me making little cat ears with their hands, that is, until the oldest Weasley women dumped Ginny's books into their arms along with their own.

They complain loudly until a sharp look from their mother has them going silent. I stick my tongue out at them like the immature child I am.

"It's good to see you again, Alexis." Percy says in an all-serious tone, and he probably would have gone to shake me hand if he weren't straining his head over a pile of bags and books.

"You too," I answer politely. "And congratulations on making Head Boy."

He seems to puff proudly, smiling down genuinely at me. "Thank you, Alexis."

"Please, you know I like being called Alex." I frown as we start our way back to the leaky cauldron; Ginny's hand latching onto my sleeve like usual, like a child, or perhaps a mother keeping hold of a child.

"Yes, my apologies Alex."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are standing around Mr. Weasley at the bar when we walk in through the back door of the Leaky Cauldron.

To my immense amusement, Ginny goes bright red at seeing her crush, Harry.

She merely utters a meager 'hello' without looking at him.

Percy, however, sets his load down on an empty table and holds his hand out to him solemnly as if meeting for the first time.

"Harry," he says. "How nice to see you."

Said boy looks like he's trying his best not to laugh. "Hello, Percy."

"I hope you're well?"

I turn my head to the side, snickering into my hand in an attempt to keep quiet, but it drowns out the rest of the greeting.

"Harry!" Fred says, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy-"

"Marvelous," says George, shoving his twin aside to seize Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."

Ginny giggles quietly beside me as Percy scowls.

I turn to my friend as their mum interferes, a small argument breaking out.

"Really, how's your summer been?" I ask.

"It was really great!" She says earnestly. "We saw all these old wizarding sites, and you could just feel the magic in the air, and the pyramids- Fred and George tried to lock Percy in but mum caught them. A good thing too, because I bet it would take a while for them to open it again, not to mention the load of trouble we would be in..."

I listened eagerly to how my friend's summer had gone, and mentally, as well as physically, smile.

The Weasleys really deserve it, Harry had told me how last year they rescued him from his house; how the Dursleys had put bars on his window and locked him in.

They really are kind people.

...

After dinner, I sit up in my room with Astrid, staring blankly at the wall.

Down the hall, I can hear a muffled argument taking place but soon that ends too, and when all the lights in the hall finally turn off, I hadn't moved.

Being here, around all these people, I feel even lonelier than at the mansion.

All the others are sharing a room except for Harry and I.

I hate being alone and it seems to have grown quite chilly.

After staring at my wall for several minutes without growing an ounce sleepier, I stand from my bed and, leaving my sleeping kitty behind, slip out the door.

I pad down the long hall to the door that I know to be shared with Ginny and Hermione, and turn the knob.

It turns easily and it amazes me how trusting you would have to be to sleep with the door unlocked.

I slip inside and blink in the dark, eyes straining wide to see anything at all.

Slowly, I'm able to distinguish shapes and my way to the first twin bed. Big lazy yellow eyes blink up at me from the middle of it, and I move silently past the large cat to the next bed.

"Ginny?" I whisper, and then a little louder in a hiss, "Ginny!"

She stirs slightly, humming, and rolls over towards the edge of the bed. She stills again.

I crawl into the open space, sinking into body-heated covers, and I'm warm again.

I sigh as drowsiness finally seems to make my eyelids heavy, and, no longer being alone or cold, I easily slip into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4

I'm brought out of my peaceful dreams by a giggling. I frown slightly at the sleep disturbance, and burry my nose into the soft, warm thing that I'm holding.

It smells of lilacs and soothes my drowsy mind, making me almost slip back into my dream of large teddy bears that like hugs.

I think I mumble something about 'fluffy' because the giggle vibrates again, this time, coming from the thing I'm using as a pillow/hugging-thing.

I pull back slightly with a hum and blink sleepily up at the faces hovering above me.

"Hullo," I mumble, tiredly rubbing my eyes of sleep. Then I stretch, extending my toes toward the bottom of the bed and fingers to the top, with a yawn before I curl back up with a hum.

I'm far too comfortable to care, or even form a thought, about the smiling faces that were looking down at me.

"What were you dreaming about?" The giggle asks and I frown again.

Guess I'm not going back to sleep...

I sit up, yawning again, and blink blurredly at the hovering faces. My tongue feels swollen with sleep and my voice is just as thick when I answer.

"I was in ice cream land but I was cold, so a bunch of warm giant teddy bears showed up. They like hugs so I got to eat the ice cream but still be warm."

"Awe!" One of the voices says and I rub my eyes again to refocus my vision.

It's Hermione sitting on the edge of the bed, and Ginny sitting up next to me. I have a vague suspicion that she was my pillow/hugging-thing.

They're both giggling at me.

"Wha...?" I mumble, mind still fogged with sleep. "Wha's goin' on?"

"You're so cute in your sleep." Hermione says and I feel my cheeks warm.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" Ginny asks from beside me, arm slipping around my shoulders.

My face burns painfully as I stare down at my hands.

"I don't like sleeping alone in a room."

They giggle again.

"That's too cute," Hermione coos.

"I think it's sweet." Ginny says taking my hand.

"Yeah, well, whatever. I'm not a baby."

I huff and scramble out of bed. Of course my feet get twisted up in the blankets and I fall on my face. I quickly kick them away as my friends start to giggle at me again.

"Shut up." I huff and storm out of the room, the dramatic effect being lost when my sleep disoriented mind makes me trip on the doorframe.

I run to my room with a flaming face.

Having not unpacked my stuff yesterday, all I have to do is drag my trunk downstairs and tuck Astrid onto my shoulder (she absolutely refuses to get into a carrier). Mr. Weasley said he could take me in the ministry cars as well.

Hermione and Ginny are already down there with their things talking with the eldest female Weasley.

I shutter to think about what they are talking about- something about a 'love potion' and those never end well.

Harry and Ron come in and take a seat closely followed by Percy.

After that is pandemonium as we rush to get ready to leave.

My attention, along with anyone else's, is drawn to a hissing and spitting wickerwork basket.

"It's alright, Crookshanks," Hermione coos her cat. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," Ron snaps. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?" He points to a large lump where his pet rat is curled up in his pocket.

"I say serves him right," I huff. "Let him feel how it is to be chased." I say, referring to how his stupid rat had chased Astrid on the train ride home last year just because he was just as big as my tiny kitten. He was laughing then.

Mr. Weasley comes in then. "They're here. Harry, come on."

He marches the boy like he's some sort of prisoner to one of the cars and helps him in.

I get stuffed into another with my best friend and her two demonic twin brothers. I shuffle as far away from them as possible, squishing myself into the window.

They just snicker at me and whisper to each other as if planning their next prank on me.

Maybe if I didn't react so much, maybe they'd stop- but it's impossible not to react.

I watch, again as we run through Kings Cross station, how Mr. Weasley sticks unnaturally close to Harry, as if guarding him.

Mrs. Weasley says goodbye to all her children, and as Mr. Weasley pulls Harry away to talk, I'm surprised when Mrs. Weasley gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek as well.

"Do take care of Ginny, will you?"

I smile. "Of course."

My best friend huffs. "You should tell her to take care of herself, she's the one who falls down flights of stairs weekly."

I roll my eyes at her as her mother gasps worriedly. "I'll be fine." I reassure her and she steps back as the train starts to depart.

We lean out the window waving until the train turns a corner and blocks them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," I hear Harry mutter to Ron and Hermione.

"Go away, Ginny." Ron says.

"Oh, that's nice," she huffs but I stop her from stomping away.

"They think he's after you don't they- the Ministry?" I direct my question to Harry.

"Who?" Hermione asks.

Harry shifts his eyes down the corridor and back to me.

"Let's talk in a compartment." I nod and pull Ginny along to the very end of the train.

There was only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window.

I pay little mind to him though as I sit down on the floor.

My friends give me odd looks, but there aren't enough seats for all of us and they haven't yet realized this.

Doing well to Hermione's word, I let Crookshanks out of his cage.

He's monstrous compared to my kitty, but Astrid quickly leaps down from my shoulder to say hello. She's soon purring and rubbing against the much larger cat's leg.

They shake their heads at me and take a seat. "Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hisses.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione whispers at once.

"How d'you know?"

"It's on his case," I answer absent minded my as I play with the kitties.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron frowns at the Professor's pallid profile.

I roll my eyes at his dimness. Hermione saves me from answering that stupid question.

"That's obvious. There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Thank you Hermione." I say smiling as Crookshanks rubs against my hand.

There is a rumor going around that the job is jinxed because the last two people that taught it, didn't get out in one piece. Professor Quirrell, the professor before my year, apparently had Voldemort attached to the back of his head and tried to kill Harry. Professor Lockhart, who was in my year, was just a big fraud and tried to erase Harry and Ron's memories and leave Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets.

Well serves that blasted prick right, erasing all of his memories instead.

He is now in Saint Mundigos and Quirrell burned up from the inside, out.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," Ron says doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." I see them all turn to Harry from the corner of my eye. "What were you going to tell us?"

So Harry explains overhearing mister and Mrs. Weasley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him.

Sirius Black, an escaped convict from the wizarding prison Azkaban, has broken out with the sole purpose of finding and killing Harry.

When he finished explaining, the compartment is left in complete silence apart from the Professor's snores and the purring as I play with the cats.

Hermione finally lowers her hands from her mouth. "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry... you'll have to be really, really, careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry-"

"Don't go looking for trouble," he says nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron says shakily.

"That's the thing though," I say speaking up before Ginny can add her two cents as well. "I don't think Black is after Harry. I think he's innocent."

The silence is thick, as they all turn to stare wide-eyed at me. Finally, after too long of having their heavy eyes boring into me, I look up.

"What?" I ask somewhat annoyed.

"What makes you say Sirius Black is innocent?" Hermione says carefully.

"Black's a nutter!" Ron exclaims furiously. "Of course he's guilty; there was a whole street of Muggle witnesses."

"It is pretty condemning." Ginny says doubtfully.

Harry leans forward expectantly. "What makes you say that he's innocent, Alex?"

"Well, he wasn't a Death Eater. My father says, and I quote, 'that daft man would never betray James even if it cost him his life'. Sirius was James Potter's best friend, and he's your godfather, Harry."

All their eyes go wide and I briefly wander if I shocked them stupid.

"How do you know that Sirius wasn't a Death Eater?" Ron asks bewildered.

My cheeks warm in shame and I look down. "I heard my father talking with a friend of his about it."

The silence hangs in the air, the implication very obvious. That my father was a Death Eater.

"I'm not supposed to know," I continue, "but I've lived in that house my whole life and I was bound to go exploring. He still keeps his mask on a display in a hidden room. Like he's proud." I scowl at my hands. Ginny softly touches my shoulder in comfort. "Anyway, the point is that I don't think he did it."

The tension breaks and it's as if I never said that tidbit.

"Even so," Hermione says, "Harry still needs to be careful."

"Hey, what's that noise? Ginny pipes up suddenly.

A faint whistling comes from the luggage rack.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," Ron says standing up and reaching for it.

I scoot back into my best friend's legs and she absently runs her fingers through my hair. Like a dog. Humph.

Oh well; it feels nice so I lean into her hand.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" I hear Hermione ask and I just hum slightly.

I've never had anyone play with my hair before; it feels nice.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron says. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send to Harry."

"We're you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" I ask absently.

"No! Well... I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk or it'll wake him up." Harry advises.

I seem to drift off to sleep right then, leaning into Ginny and Hermione's legs with my head being pet, the distant sound of a cat yowl and what sounds like panicked squeaks of a mouse.

I hum slightly and turn my face more into my friend's knees.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch5

I was just beginning to dream of dancing cake that I got to eat when suddenly they turn into evil things with claws and teeth, chasing me in revenge for eating many of its brothers.

Suddenly, space opens up I front of me and I'm falling.

I jerk awake as my head slams into the train's carpeted floor, blinking confusedly up at the faces looming above me.

I soon make out three other figures that weren't there before.

Crabbe and Goyle, two burly third years, stand by the compartment doors and their leader, Draco Malfoy, hastily backs up into them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all on their feet with their wands drawn and I suddenly understand.

Draco must have kicked me over.

Ginny is sitting stiffly and as I sit up to rub my head, she goes back to playing with my hair without taking her eyes off the older boys.

"Looks like the littlest Weasel got a new pet." Draco says meanly, but he still shifts uneasily at the three upset wizards with wands.

"Woof." I say dryly and Ginny muffles a giggle behind a hand.

Professor Lupin snorts and the pale boy takes another uncertain step back.

"Who's that?"

"New teacher," Harry growls clenching his wand.

Malfoy's eyes narrow as if rethinking risking doing anything else with the sleeping professor.

"C'mon," he mutters resentfully and disappears with his two bodyguards of friends around the corner.

All three third years slowly sit down again.

"Are you okay, Alex?" Harry asks gruffly and I nod.

I was still a little foggy minded from my sleep.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," Ron says angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and-"

I jokingly cover Ginny's eyes as he makes a violent gesture in midair.

She playfully slaps my hand away.

Hermione hisses at Ron, pointing to professor Lupin. "Ron, be careful."

The professor is still fast asleep and I look at him with envy. I would still be snoozing peacefully too if it weren't for those Slytherin bullies.

Just then, Ginny scratches a particularly good spot on my head and I close my eyes, humming in appreciation.

She giggles and I open my eyes to look at her curiously.

"You really are like a pet. More of a cat than a dog though." Hermione says.

"Fred and George are calling her Kitten," Ginny informs oh so helpfully and I grimace at the reminder.

"Don't tell them that," I whine and she giggles again.

"I think it's cute." Hermione coos and I cross my arms with a pout.

"I am not cute."

"You kind of are," Harry says and after a second and really realizing what he just said, blushes.

My own face grows warm and I look away mumbling something about 'stupid boys' and 'ruin everything'.

The others laugh at our expense as I continue to pout.

Rain had started up while I had taken my little nap, and it now pelts the windows in thick sheets. It's so dark that the lanterns flicker to life along the corridors and over the luggage rack. The train rattles as the wind howls.

"We must be nearly there," Ron says leaning past Professor Lupin to see out the pitch-black window. The words had hardly left his lips when we start to slow.

"Yes!" I cheer. "I'm starving."

"We can't be there yet," Hermione says with a frown checking her watch.

"Then why are we stopping?"

The train goes slower and slower until it stops and all you can hear is the beating of the rain.

Harry gets up to look out into the corridor.

I swallow thickly as luggage falls from racks and the lights go out. I never liked the dark, yet somehow, I always find myself in it.

I reach blindly behind me until I find a hand and they grip back just as tightly.

"What's going on?" Ron asks.

"Ouch!" Hermione gasps right next to my ear. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

I cringe at a squeaking noise as someone rubs at the window.

"There's something moving out there," Ron says. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"I hate the dark," I mumble.

The compartment door suddenly opens and a blob falls to the ground.

"Sorry- d'you know what's going on?- Ouch- sorry-"

"Hullo, Neville."

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea- sit down-"

"Ouch!" I say as someone steps on me.

"Sorry- what're you doing on the floor?"

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on." Hermione says and one of the hands holding mine tightly, vanishes and I'm left gripping shadows.

There is a cat yowl and a bang and a, "I'm sorry Astrid!"

"Ouch!"

"Gerroff me!"

I crawl onto the seat Hermione vacated and curl up, laying my head in Ginny's lap. Her hand still holds mine but it had begun to sweat in anxiety.

"Quiet!" A hoarse voice suddenly says and I shiver.

Professor Lupin seems to be awake at last and no one spoke or moved- Ginny's hands seemed to be frozen in my hair.

There is a soft crackling noise and a light fills the compartment. The Professor holds a handful of flames that illuminate his tired, weary face.

"Stay where you are," he commands in that same scratchy voice that we don't dare to disobey.

He slowly gets to his feet but before Professor Lupin can reach the door, it slides open.

A thrill of fear goes through me at the tall, cloaked figure in the doorway, with its grey slimy hand disappearing into the folds of the black cloak that seems to have been weaved with shadows.

A dementor.

And then the joy draining figure takes in a slow, rattling breath that seems to suck in more than just air.

An intense cold sweeps me that goes deeper than my skin and inside my very heart.

I flinch away from Ginny, sitting up fast.

The freezing of my heart spreads out to my fingers, loneliness clenching my heart like I'm not in a compartment full of my friends.

It's like all those times I was curled up on my to-large bed in my to-large room in my to-large house. A loneliness that derives from being raised by only a house elf and not aloud to leave the house. A loneliness that often found me pulling my blankets into the wardrobe to sleep in because I don't want to feel so far away from everything. An ache of longing that has me crying in silence, even though if I full out sob, no one would hear because the house is so big and empty.

All that loneliness seems to crash down on me and tears fall down my cheeks in hot torrents and blur everything.

Then, "Expecto Patronum!"

The weight of loneliness lifts as a bright light flashes past my vision. A shadow of it though, still clenches my chest, and I hastily wipe my tears so no one would see me acting like such a baby.

It turns out though that there is no danger of that because everyone turned their attentions to Harry who had passed out.

I, again, wipe my eyes before falling to my knees beside him and shake his shoulder.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?" When he doesn't answer, I slap him much to Hermione's shock and Ginny's horror.

"Alex!" They shout.

"W-what?" Harry says opening his eyes.

He goes cross-eyed for a moment before seeming to be able to focus enough on me.

Ron helps me to heave him back into his seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asks nervously.

"Yeah." Harry looks quickly towards the door. "What happened? Where's that- that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed, Harry." I tell him softly. At least, I don't think anyone did and no one contradicts me.

"But I heard screaming-"

A loud snap makes me jerk involuntarily and we all turn to Professor Lupin who is breaking an enormous slab of chocolate.

"Here," he says handing a large piece to Harry. "Eat it. It will help."

He takes it but doesn't eat it.

"What was that thing?" he asks Lupin.

"A dementor," I say and the new professor nods as he gives chocolate to everyone else.

I take mine happily, always happy for sweets, and suck on it greedily.

"Yes, one of the dementors from Azkaban."

I munch contently on my chocolate as everyone else stares at him. Professor Lupin crumbles up the empty wrapper and puts it in his pocket.

The sweet warms me, making the cold in my chest slowly lift.

"Eat," he repeats to Harry, who has still yet to enjoy his candy. If he doesn't want it, I'll eat it. "It'll help. I need to speak with the driver, excuse me..."

He strolls past me, where I'm now sitting cross-legged on the floor, and disappears out the corridor.

"Well, eat it," I mumble. "It's not poisoned or anything or I'd be dead. Unless of course you want me to test your piece, because I'm willing."

They ignore me though and I roll my eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asks anxiously.

"I don't get it... What happened?" Harry asks wiping sweat off his face.

"That dementor came in and sucked all our happiness away. No worries though, Professor Lupin got rid of him. Oh, and you? You totally passed out or had a seizure or something." I replied cheerily getting odd looks from everyone in the room.

"What?" I ask.

"Come here, Alex," Hermione says from her seat again and I crawl over to her. She touches my face softly. "Have you been crying?"

I give a cheery smile. "Not at all."

Ginny, who is huddled in a corner, give a small sob. Hermione scoots over to comfort her and I place Crookshanks in her arms awkwardly. I'm not very good in the comforting sort, but I know that hugging something fluffy always helps.

"Didn't any of you fall off your seats?" Harry asks awkwardly.

"No," Ron says, looking at Harry anxiously. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Sympathy stirs in my chest for the Boy-Who-Lived; I was lucky enough that no one noticed my wild reaction to the dementor, but he just made himself that much more different that his friends- another gap that separates him.

Professor Lupin comes back in, pausing to look around with a small smile.

"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

"That's what I said," I mumble, still sucking on the last piece.

Harry finally takes a bite of the dark sweet and color slowly seeps into his pale cheeks.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," the Professor says. "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Fine," he mutters embarrassed.

We don't talk much the rest of the ride to school, when at long last, we pull into Hogsmeade station.

There is a great scramble to get outside, a great clamor of animals echoing around the platform, and Astrid's claws dig deeply into my shoulder as I hold tightly to Ginny's sleeve of her robe.

"Oh, no!" I gasp. "I forgot to change!"

Ginny manages a faint smile, looking much better than earlier.

"That's what you get for wearing pajamas... And where are your shoes?"

I look down at my bare feet and my mouth drops open.

"They were on when I got on the train!... Weren't they?" I ask, the slightest bit uncertain.

She actually breaks into laughter and I have to smile as well.

"Firs' years this way!" A familiar voice calls and I strain my neck to look over the crowd for my large giant of a friend.

His massive outline is easy to spot on the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking first year students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All righ', you three? Alex?" Hagrid calls over the heads of the crowd.

From a little farther ahead, the golden trio wave.

"Hi Hagrid!" I call waving to him as well. "Hey, let me know if you happen to find a pair of shoes, would you?!"

He gives a thumbs up so I continue on with Ginny to where at least a hundred stagecoaches await the older students.

There seem to be invisible horses to pull them as I climb into the nearest empty one and pull my friend in with me, I reach down to help the next second year up, smiling at the nice Ravenclaw girl, Luna Lovegood.

"Hey, Lu!" I greet as she sits down and she gives me her usual somewhere-else grin.

"Alex, good to see you again. It looks like the Nargles got to your shoes though."

I turn to Ginny with an all-serious expression. "I knew I was wearing them on the train."

Ginny giggles but I don't drop the serious face as I turn back to the other girl.

Luna is the strange first year that we met last year, and though most people think she's bonkers, she's actually really nice. Some of the things she says even sometimes makes since.

She's a good friend to have and it makes me really upset about all the bullying that happens to her. She, of course, just thinks it's because of her creatures that she believes in.

"How are you?" Ginny asks her just as concerned as me.

"Good. Father and I are so close to finding the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. We came really close just last week."

"Er, that's awesome!" I say clapping her on the shoulder, making a mental note to figure out what kind of creature the Crumple-Horned Snorkack is.

Soon, the carriage sways to a stop and I stumble out first to help the other two down.

I look up in time to see Hermione, Ron, and Harry disappear into the Castle.

I sigh and turn to my redheaded friend. "I'm pretty sure I have to sit at the Slytherin table at least for tonight."

She frowns slightly. "Okay, see you at breakfast?"

"Probably not." I admit sheepishly, remembering last year when I overslept the first night because no one had woken me up.

"Then see you in class."

"Right then," I turn to Luna. "By Lu, see you in class."

We part at the Entrance Hall and I reluctantly make my way to the last long table at the end of the great hall to wait for the first years.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch6

As expected, when I wake up in the Slytherin girl's dorm room, it's dark but empty.

Being in the dungeons, there are no windows for the sun to shine through. The only source of actual light comes from the torches, which are currently unlit due to no one using the room. Well, besides me who most of them don't even know my name.

I hastily climb out of my bed and stumble into my wizard robes, stuffing my most prized possession into my boot.

It's, like every witch or wizard, my wand.

Mine is different than everyone one else's though in the fact that it's white where most are brown, coming from a birch tree with a dragon's eyelash core, dipped in phoenix tears.

Mr. Olivander had quite a strange reaction to me finding it hidden behind a shelf and when he couldn't persuade me to find another, wished me luck.

I leave Astrid curled up on my pillow, and run up the steps from the dungeons.

The Great Hall is already empty so I race out the large oak doors to greenhouse three- the site of my first class.

I peak through the foggy windows to see the class already working on something, and wince.

I do my best to sneak in but Professor Sprout spots me before I can even set a foot inside the humid greenhouse.

"So nice of you to join us Miss Taylor; is there a reason for your tardiness?"

"No ma'am." I say blushing scarlet and fumbling to where there is an empty space at a table.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to take five points from Slytherin, please don't make a habit of it."

"Yes ma'am." I automatically reply, even as the others from my House send me glowering glares.

After Herbology, I hurry to my second class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Lupin is already in the classroom fiddling with something or another. I'm the first student there due to the shortcut that I found in my first year.

He turns as I take a seat in the front of the class.

"Oh hello, Alex was it?"

"Yes sir," I reply, swinging my feet from the stool.

"And how are you after the train? You seemed to know about the dementor pretty well?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And my father has told me about them is all. Plus, I like to read."

"Yes, you can learn quite a lot from books." He chuckles.

We sit in silence as he goes back to shuffling papers.

After some time, I clear my throat.

"There is something I've been meaning to ask a teacher..." At his nod I continue. "I've been wondering about wandless magic."

"Wandless?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Yes." I fold my arms across the table. "See, I know we can do it due to accidental magic, but I was thinking... If we can do accidental without a wand on accident, then couldn't we do accidental magic on purpose? I've looked but my books don't even mention anything."

He stares at me for a while. "That is a very Ravenclaw thing for you to ask; mind, is that you're House?"

"I'm Slytherin."

He doesn't try very hard to conceal his cringe and I frown.

"Well, to answer you're question, I've never heard of a witch or wizard doing magics, without a wand, on purpose, though it's an interesting thing to think about."

He studies me for a while. Then, "Really? Slytherin?"

I sigh and am about to respond when a wave of red hair swishes through the door, panting.

"There you are Alex!" Ginny grins and slides into the seat next to me. "Hullo Professor Lupin."

"Yes, yes," he says distractedly and still staring incredulously at me. "I mean, you just don't seem like the Slytherin type."

"That's cause she's not." A voice says and more kids pour in.

From the corner of my eye, I see the professor mouth, "She?"

Another Slytherin girl sidles in and takes a seat on one side of the room, making it segregated from where the other Gryffindors are sitting on the other side. And me.

"She doesn't eat at our table, doesn't talk to us in our dorm, and hardly even is in the common room."

"She's friends with them. A disgrace to the Slytherin name."

I mentally laugh in my head. If only you knew! If only you knew that I am related to the actual Salazar Slytherin! If only you knew that I, the disgrace to the Slytherin House, controlled the Slytherin beast.

"Leave her alone!" The pretty Gryffindor girl, Olivia, says.

I blush at the sudden clan rivalry type thing taking place over me.

"Leave it alone guys. It doesn't matter." I sigh, getting somewhat distracted as Ginny starts fiddling with my tie, straightening it and tying it properly, something I still have yet not managed to learn since last year.

"Perhaps Alex is right, we best start our lesson," Professor Lupin says and hesitantly looks away from me.

Ginny takes my hand under the table and squeezes it.

On the way to lunch, two long arms slip around my shoulders from either side.

"Hello, Kitten." The twins say together, squishing me between them.

"How has your first day been?" Fred asks and I grimace.

"I was late to first period, almost started a war in second, tripped down the stairs on the way out of third and was in the hospital wing during fourth." I reply dryly.

They crack up because my bad luck apparently amuses them.

My lips twitch.

"We know what will make you feel better." George says and Fred offers me a caramel toffee.

I snort.

"Come on." Fred urges.

"Just a little taste," the other says.

"Will it make my voice extremely high?"

"We told you," one says and the other continues.

"We already did that."

"Will it cause me any pain at all or make one of my body proportions a different shape, length, or width, different then they currently are?"

"Nope," Fed says in a bored tone.

"Do you know how to reverse it?" I ask just as we make it into the Great Hall and start towards the Gryffindor table.

Last year, the teachers had stopped bothering in trying to make me sit with my house and since the Gryffindors, and Slytherins, were perfectly okay with it, they just pretend that they don't see. Only on special occasions do I have to remain with my House, without objections.

"Just eat it." George groans.

I sit down at the table to wait for Ginny but they continue to hover at my side, offering me the candy.

"Just one more question, and it's the most important one that I need you to answer me straight," I say taking it and unwrapping it.

They raise their eyebrows expectantly.

"Does it taste good?"

They grin and say together, "Of course!"

I shrug and pop it into my mouth.

It tastes just as its wrapper suggests, like caramel, and I hum in appreciation.

Whatever happens will be worth it. Sweets are always worth it.

Ginny enters through the doors and, spotting me, jogs over. She gives her two brothers a cautious look and sits down. Their matching grins are probably unnerving to her.

"What did you do?" She asks suspiciously.

"Alex is testing one of our products. We are quite curious to see how it turns out." George says.

Horror crosses my friend's face. "You didn't!" She says to me.

I swallow looking solemn.

"I did." We both pause as the twins crack up, and a second latter, I do to in a booming deep laugh that turns many heads.

My voice is very low, the exact opposite of the chipmunk they once made me sound like.

"I sound like a dude!" I wheeze, whipping tears from my eyes.

"It's not funny," Ginny chides, slapping her brothers who are using each other as a support. "It's not!" She says again but I can see her lips trembling.

"Come on," I say elbowing her lightly in the ribs. "Laugh; I know you want to."

"You shouldn't let them use you as a guinea pig," she scolds me.

"Lighten up, it's better that they do it with my knowledge than slipping it in my food and it coming as I surprise." I tap her between the eyebrows. "You're going to get wrinkles if you keep frowning all the time."

She snickers, the sentence sounding so strange with my new voice.

The twins quickly depart when Harry, Ron, and Hermione slide into the bench across and beside us.

I'm about to say something completely strange to them when Hermione says, "Ron, cheer up. You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

Ron carefully spoons stew onto his plate.

"Harry," he says lowly. "You haven't seen a great big dog anywhere, have you?"

I slowly load my plate, listening with interest.

"Yeah, I have," Harry says. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."

Ron's fork falls with a clatter.

"Probably a stray," Hermione say calmly, if a little annoyed.

Ron looks at her like she's gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's- that's bad. My- my uncle Bilius saw one and- and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," Hermione says airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron says angrily.

Oh no, no, no, this just won't do.

"Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

Before Hermione can get the chance to retort, I lay my open palms out dramatically.

"Now, let's just all take a deep breath and calm down."

Harry chokes on his pumpkin juice that he was just taking a sip of, spewing it all over the table and food.

Three pairs of eyes stare widely at me before cracking up despite being so serious just moments before.

Hermione tries futilely to muffle her laughter behind her hand.

I pull a confused face. "What's wrong?"

"W-what happened to y-your voice?" Hermione giggles.

"Oh, that." I pretend to realize. "I got to be Fred and George's test subject for their new candy that they invented. It was very tasty."

"Oh Alex." She sighs. "Now you're one step away from becoming a real boy."

My jaw drops disbelievingly. Was she referring to that muggle children's book?

Harry seems to be the only one else to understand as he snickers, still trying to wipe pumpkin juice from his robe front.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch7

"He's already boasting about how he got Hagrid fired." I say in my gruff voice, which still hasn't worn off, glaring across the Great Hall at Draco Malfoy.

A large group is huddled around him, cooking up their own version of events. My friends had already told me what really happened and I continually shoot glances at the head table where Hagrid's empty chair sits.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" Hermione asks anxiously.

I scoff. "Not Dumbledore."

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back." Ron says gloomily.

"All good in a day's work." I say and turn to my quiet best friend. "So how was your day?"

"Well, I haven't found any diaries that write back, but the year is still young."

"Aw, don't worry," I tease, setting my hand on her shoulder. "You'll find another way to kill us."

She smiles, shoving me to where I have to catch myself on another Gryffindor to keep from falling.

"Sorry Seamus," I say giggling and he smiles.

"No problem, and that voice still hasn't warn off?" He asks amused.

"Nope," I grin. "Does it make me sound manly?" I ask jokingly, crossing my arms and pulling my most fierce face.

"Still look like a kitten to me."

My jaw drops and I turn to glare at Ginny.

"Have you been telling everyone?!"

"I didn't tell!" She laughs holding up her hands in surrender.

I tug one of her orange locks with a pout.

"Maybe if you weren't so tiny, everyone wouldn't think it." She continues to tease.

"Yeah, where is Astrid?" Harry asks curiously.

"I don't know," I admit with a small frown. "I went up to get her for dinner, but she wasn't in the dorm or common room. I'll have to check outside before bed."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ginny asks but I shake my head.

"Naw, I got it. I'm not entirely sure if we're supposed to be wandering the grounds and I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Okay," she frowns.

After dinner, I wander across the dark grounds, straining my eyes to see through the gloom.

The grass is still damp and the longer strands cling to my legs.

Only when the large Whomping Willow comes into view is there any movement, and my eyes follow the very large, very black shape.

Despite my better judgment and pounding heart, I creep closer.

Under its swaying bouts, is my small tiny kitten, wrapping herself around the legs of a dog.

It's a very big dog, but its fur hangs shaggy on its frame, and I can see each of his ribs even at this distance and in this dark.

My heart beating no longer in fear, I draw closer until I'm just out of reach of the Whomping Willow's branches.

The dog's ears flick back a second before it turns to me, large eyes gleaming. His muscles tense as if ready to run so I promptly sit down right there in the damp grass.

His muscles relax slightly and his head tilts.

I make a slight clicking sound at him and hold out my hand, open and facing down.

He turns and disappears behind the tree, vanishing into thin air.

Astrid comes padding up to me, lifting her little legs high in a failed attempt to keep the dampness to seep into her fur.

I lift her up, and sending one last glance at the tree, walk back to the castle.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are just walking down the steep steps when I reach them.

"Hey, you found Astrid!" Ron says, and I nod.

"Yeah, I'm going back up to the common room now; gotta get started on the load of homework we were given. Where are you heading?"

"Just to see Hagrid." Harry replies and I follow his line of sight to the large hut that rests on the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, home to the Grounds Keeper, new Care of Magical Creatures professor, and our good friend.

"Would you like to come?" Hermione asks and I hesitate.

"I can't. I really do have a lot of homework that I need to get done. I wouldn't have enough time to do it before the class... I'll be down to visit him tomorrow; let me know how it goes."

"Will do," Harry says distractedly and I wave goodbye as I go in the direction to the dungeons.

...

The start of October finds me standing just out of reach of the swaying branches from the Whomping Willow, with a parcel stuffed with meat, bread, an empty bowl, and a canteen of water.

The darkness hides me fairly well, though my wand is still clenched in my teeth, emitting a soft blue glow from the simple lumos spell.

Ever since seeing the large dog, I have been sneaking out after dinner with a quick stop to the kitchens (stealing food straight from the table would be too obvious and all the house elves were all too willing to help) to set food at the edge of the Willow's reach in hopes that the big dog will come out to let me pet him.

He always came out after a few minutes, drawn by the smell of food, but would never come to get it until I backed away at least ten yards and if I made any movements at all, he would dart back to the tree and not return that night.

But when I get there, he appears immediately from the tree and waits patiently as I set up his feast.

As I pour the water into the bowl though, he trots forward and starts wolfing down the brisket and steak that I brought.

My eyes go wide as he eats, just a foot away, and I'm careful to make my movements exasperatedly slow as I screw the cap back on and sit cross-legged on the grass.

"You know, I don't know what to call you."

The dog's ears flick in my direction, but other than that and the slight tensing of his muscles, he makes no notion that I'm even there.

"I'm sure you already have a name though..." I continue. "How about Snuffles?" I suggest with a grin.

His ears lay back and he pauses eating to look at me.

I giggle. "When I was little, I just wanted a toy bear, and I was going to name him that, but I never got it."

He dips his head to resume his meal.

"... I wonder why no one in the wizarding world has dogs as pets? I mean, why rats or toads? What makes them so special?"

I realize that I'm pretty much just talking to myself, but it feels nice to just talk for absolutely no reason at all. To question the tiny things that come up in my head at one point and not get looked at oddly.

Snuffles finishes eating and moves on to lap up the water.

"Do you ever get lonely out hear?" I ask him even as I know that he won't respond. "I feel lonely a lot, even if I'm in a room full of people. Like in my House, Slytherin," the dog jerks back and stares at me, ears pressed to his head as if I'd done something offensive. "Yeah, everyone reacts that why when I say which house I'm in. Anyway, they don't like me there. I don't like me there. They are all strangers to me and I bet most of them still think I'm a boy."

To my surprise, the dog doesn't go back to the tree when everything is gone, but lays down just feet away.

I ache to reach out and pet him, but I know not to push my luck.

"I don't like it there, I don't like the dark, and the dorm never seems to be warm... And there are these older kids... They hurt me when no one's around. I can't tell my friends though, I won't. They'll just think me weak and they'll worry. But it's not so bad. They're not as strong as my dad."

The dog stares at me with big woeful eyes, and I smile.

"I'm not always lonely though. Ginny, she's my best friend, is really nice. She hugs me, and helps me with my tie, and I even sit with them at lunch.

There are also Hermione and Ron and Harry," the dog's ears perk at his name.

"Then of course, there are the twins, but they always tease me and pull pranks on me."

I look up at the pitch-black sky and sigh.

"I should go..."

Snuffles stands, tongue lolling to the side, and trots back to the tree, disappearing once again into, I figure, a tunnel that's hidden in its roots.

I collect the parcel and dump the excess water before tromping my way back to the big oak doors and slipping in.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch8

"What's with them?" I ask Harry on the 16th of October, directing my thumb at Hermione and Ron who are continually giving each other sour looks.

"Crookshanks tried to get Scabbers," he whispers, leaning across Ginny to tell me and she looks about ready to hyperventilate. "Hermione won't apologize."

"He found it pretty funny when Scabbers was chasing Astrid last year." I retort.

"Scabbers wasn't going to eat her!" Ron says, apparently having heard us anyway.

I huff, crossing my arms.

"I'm sorry; I just don't like when someone beats up on the little guy, just because they can with no consequences."

Hermione, Ron, and Harry all stare at me with creepy synchronization. There faces twist, as if they know something and they want to do something, but they're not sure how or what to do.

"What?" Ginny says cluelessly. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," I admit, shrinking away slightly. "It's kind of creepy though."

"At least they're not fighting anymore?" She offers.

"Sorry," Hermione blinks. "It's just...I realized that I haven't asked how you've been in a while."

I laugh slightly. "I'm fine, Hermione. Why wouldn't I be as long as I got you guys?"

"There's nothing that you need to tell us...?" Harry presses.

My blood goes cold. They can't know... How can they know, I didn't tell them! And Draco wouldn't... No, he's not that stupid- it wouldn't make him look tough to beat up a girl, even to the Slytherin House.

So it must be something else, or it really is just a question that doesn't have any hidden meaning behind it.

I give a sunny smile. "Nothing. I'm okay."

Ginny gives me an odd look so I just take her hand under the table.

"So, I heard you have your first Hogsmeade weekend coming...up.." I trail off at Ron and Hermione's wild head shaking.

Harry's shoulders slump.

"What'd I say?" I ask Ginny.

"Harry's not aloud to go. The Dursleys didn't sign his permission slip." She tells me.

"I can forge it for you." I offer but he shakes his head.

"I'll just have to ask McGonagall."

"Good luck with that." I snort. "She's nice and all, but very strict."

Ginny nods in agreement.

...

That night has me sitting next to Snuffles as he laps water from his bowl and I run my hand through his fur.

"...and it's nerve wracking to think that they know something. They can't know about Draco or my father, no one would tell them, but if they knew the other thing?" I swallow nervously.

"Oh, they can't know. No matter how close we are now, they would hate me for sure. See, I have a lot of secrets, like you now, but this one is really bad. I can't even tell you or say it aloud it's so bad."

I scratch behind his ears as he lays his heavy head on my lap. He had gained some weight over the last few weeks, but not enough to be back to a healthy one. It'll take time to get there.

"...no, I'm over reacting. If they knew, they wouldn't be able to act like they do around me. They would hate me so much." I whisper.

Snuffles emanates a small, high-pitched whine and I glance down at him.

"I'm alright." I smile at him. "As long as they don't know, and they are with me, then I'll be alright."

I run my hands again through his fur, ignoring the clumps of dirt and grease.

"Soon, I'm going to give you a bath."

His ears twitch. "Yeah, with soap and water and everything."

He huffs and I smile.

...

Halloween day comes soon and on the seventh floor in a secret room called the Room of Requirement, I lay in a bed next to my best friend.

It's a small room, my dream room, that has enough room to move around and a wardrobe full of fluffy muggle pajamas and a small table next to the bed with a lamp.

"Do you ever just...feel lonely even if there are hundreds of people in the same room as you?" I ask quietly.

Her hand that is holding mine shifts to wrap around my waist in a hug.

Warmth spreads through me and I sigh in content.

"We are the most alone when there are people around us, but don't see us." She says.

A heartbeat or two passes before a giggle.

"How philosophical of you." I tease and I can feel her smile.

"Maybe so, but it's still true."

I hum in thought and we sit in silence for a while.

"I don't feel lonely when I'm with you," she says suddenly.

"That's good...but you might not always feel that way."

She shifts back enough to look me in the eye.

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean, that there are things that I haven't told you about me. Things that would make you despise me if you found out."

"Do I know the real you?" She asks after a pause.

"You know me." I confirm.

"Then I don't care." She says hugging me again.

I let the warmth of human contact fill me, and smile.

We stay in that room talking about stupid things and cursing Snape's name and praising Professor Lupin's newest lesson and just lay in silence.

Finally, it becomes time for the Halloween feast and we happily walk down to the Great Hall.

The dining hall is just as grand as last year, with live bats fluttering around the air and hundreds of candle filled pumpkins, and flaming orange streamers swimming across the stormy ceiling.

The food is delicious as Ginny and I listen eagerly to Ron and Hermione reencounter their time spent in Hogsmeade.

I have to stifle my enjoyment when the Weasley twins set off a few dung bombs at the Slytherin table, mentally thanking whatever deity that might be out there for my choice to sit with my friends, because the twins would have no qualms about letting me catch a nose full of it too.

After the feast, I reluctantly say goodbye to my Gryffindor friends and slip unnoticed into the Slytherin group as they march out the doors first. From there, I fall back into the Hufflepuff crowd as they file down to the basement.

I break off once again when I come to a large painting on the wall, of a fruit bowl.

When the tromping students round the corner, I tickle the pear. It laughs and turns into a doorknob making me grin as I push open the painting.

Hundreds of house elves greet me excitedly.

"Missus!" Many of them exclaim, bowing so deep at the waist that their long noses touch the ground.

"Hey guys!" I chirp. "Have you got any leftovers?" I ask politely

One elf rushes forward, clutching a familiar duffle bag, bulging from the inside out.

"We knew missus was coming so we got missus what missus always gets."

I smile brightly. "Thank you so much." I say, lightly taking the heavy bag from them and patting a few on their heads affectionately.

They squeak excitedly at the praise and a few bow again. "Can we get missus anything else?"

"No, thank you, but this will be enough. I'll see you guys tomorrow, alright?"

A hundred heads dip and a hundred noses touch the ground.

I step out of the painting, still smiling, but a loud commotion has me pausing and looking wildly up and down the hall.

It's coming from the direction the Hufflepuffs had gone and my heart beats faster to go with their rushing footsteps.

I take off down the hall, up the stairs, and skid ridged at almost running into teacher. Professor Snape has yet to notice me so I creep back into the shadows, ditching the duffle behind a suit of armor.

Many questions would arise if I were caught carrying that around.

As the whole of Hufflepuff come rushing through, I duck into the group behind some first years that I easily blend into.

All of the conversation was expressing as much confusion as I felt. We arrive back in the Great Hall and as we pass them, I slip unnoticed back into the Slytherin group.

No one gives me even a glance.

It seems that all the Houses had gathered back in the dinning hall where, not just fifteen minutes ago, a grand feast was held.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore tells us.

A search? For what?

He continues though, speaking easily through the silent room. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he adds to Percy, who is looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

The Headmaster pauses when he's about to leave the hall.

"Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

He casually waves his wand and the long tables fly to the edge of the hall, standing themselves against the wall, and hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags cover the floor.

"Sleep well," he says, closing the doors behind him.

The hall immediately starts to buzz excitedly, but I ignore all of that in favor of going in search of Ginny.

"Hey," I say, touching her shoulder and she jumps.

"Oh my god," she gasps whirling on me and gripping my hands with wide eyes. "It's Sirius Black!"


	9. Chapter 9

Ch9

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy shouts. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

I ignore the Weasley boy, continuing to stare into my best friend's wide fearful eyes.

"Did you see him?" I ask lowly. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she says, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "No, but he tried to get into the Gryffindor common room- destroyed the Fat Lady's portrait. I bet he was trying to get to Harry."

I bite my lip, my mind spinning wildly.

"I don't believe that." I finally say. "Something doesn't seem right about it."

"I'll tell you what doesn't sound right about it; you defending a murderer!" Ron says appearing next to me with a sleeping bag clutched in his hand. Hermione frowns behind him and Harry just has a blank face, like the events haven't yet caught up to him.

"Well think about it, the one night you aren't in the tower? That'd have to be awfully good luck..."

"He's mad! Who knows what he was thinking! I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run."

I shake my head at him as I bend down to snag two purple bags, handing one to Ginny.

"I'm telling you, there's got to be more to it than that. I think he's innocent."

"I don't know, Alex. Black isn't making himself look so innocent and coincidences this big hardly ever happens." Hermione says doubtfully.

One big question is being whispered around every group.

"How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," a Ravenclaw says from a few feet away from our small gathered corner. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," a Hufflepuff fifth year says.

"He could've flown in," Dean Thomas suggests.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's read Hogwarts, A History?" Hermione says crossly to us.

"Probably," Ron says. "Why?"

I snort. "Don't worry Hermione, I read it."

"Of course you did," Ginny teases and I scowl at her. She just coos at me.

"Anyway," Hermione says shooting an annoyed look at the two Weasleys. "The castle's protected by more than walls, you know. There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see a disguise that could fool those dementors. They're guarding every singe entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

My mind goes to the entrance under the Whomping Willow and a chill goes down my spine.

I highly doubt that Filch could know about that one there, and if he doesn't know about one, there could easily be more.

Like the one-eyed witch that Fred and George showed me once that leads to Hogsmeade... He could come straight in through there without anyone even knowing...

Should I tell?

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouts before I can come to a decision. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all go out at once. The only light now comes from the silvery ghosts, who are drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, is scattered with stars. With that, and the whispering that still fills the hall, I don't feel alone and, with Ginny beside me, I easily fall asleep with the soft whispers lulling me.

...

"How can she sleep after all that's happened?" A whispered voice hisses.

"Shhh! You're going to wake her!"

"Good, it's time to get up anyway."

"But she looks so peaceful..."

I feel my shoulder shake lightly, pulling me out of whatever half-wakefulness I was in.

"Hmm?" I hum, blinking into a harsh light that I'm not normally accustomed to when waking up.

"Alex? Come on, it's time to get up."

"'Mione?" I mumble, blinking up into the brown eyes of my bushy-haired friend.

I turn my head to see the other guys and sit up fast.

"W-what's going on?"

"It's okay," Ginny giggles. "Remember last night?"

My tired mind strains to remember all that happened the night before, making connections to after the feast and purple sleeping bags and Sirius Black.

"Oh yeah," I yawn.

"How could you even sleep?" Ron asks incredulously.

I rub my eyes tiredly to get rid of the sleep crust.

"I wasn't alone." I mumble.

"What does that mean?" He asks but I ignore him, fumbling with the zipper on my bag.

"Are we having normal classes?" I asks, kicking free of the purple sack.

"Yes," Ginny says, looking as tired as anyone else who didn't get a lick of sleep last night.

I on the other hand, feel greatly refreshed.

Heh, sucks to be them.

"So what's for breakfast?" I chirp happily once the sleepy fog has disappeared from my mind.

...

"It's just so frustrating." I rant to Snuffles that evening. "I'm mean, I know it sound far fetched, but they won't even stop to think about it."

I sigh, laying back in the itchy grass to stare up at the sky.

The big dog laying beside me flops onto his side, letting out a groan.

"Sirius Black is innocent." The dog sits up fast and stares at me with wide gleaming eyes.

I snort. "That seems to be the reaction everyone is giving me. It's just... I don't think that he killed those people. I don't know why he's breaking into the castle and trying to get into the Gryffindor common room, and sure it looks bad...but why would he betray his best friend? My dad says that James and Black were thick as thieves when they were in school... Why would anyone betray their best friend? I can't fathom it and I don't want to believe that anyone could."

The stars twinkle down at me and I remember the nights of when I was little, climbing out onto the roof with a blanket and just staring at them for hours.

I remember thinking that, if I wish on them like the muggles do, my wish would come true. That if I wished that my dad would hug me, he would; if I wished to have friends, I would.

I would wish a thousand times a night to not be lonely, to not be cold, to not be left in the dark, and a thousand times a night I would ache in disappointment until one night, I just stopped wishing, stopped hoping, stopped looking at the sparkly lights in the sky.

I reach up towards the sky now, caressing the stars as if I could touch them and feel their heat.

"I can imagine the loneliness he must be feeling right now. His best friend dead and him believed to be his indirect killer."

The dog whines and I look over at his sad eyes, as if he could understand me.

After some time, I sigh and roll onto my feet, rubbing the black dog's head.

"Goodnight Snuffles, I'll see you tomorrow."

I gather the empty plates and bowl, stuffing them in the bag before making my way back up the castle steps.

Astrid will be waiting in my bed for me to return; she had not wanted to come to dinner tonight so I left her in the dorm room.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch10

Sweat drips annoyingly down my temple and my vision begins to go double by how hard I'm concentrating. I squint intently at the muggle pen I'm concentrating on, and I can feel a headache beginning at the very back of my skull.

My hands are thrown out, tendons straining just under my skin, and the edge of the pen is lifted just slightly off the ground.

I gasp in a breath, relaxing and it clatters back to the ground.

I grind my teeth in disappoint, rolling my eyes to the ceiling.

I'm in the Room of Requirement, but instead of 'somewhere safe' like I usually go to hide, I'm in a training room.

It's large and the floor is covered in mats, the entire back wall covered with targets, the right wall is a bookshelf, full of old dust-covered books that would make you choke just going within two feet of it.

I have been coming in here the last few weeks to test my theory of no wand magic.

Something about using a wand just doesn't feel right. You hold it, point it, do a weird jig with it, and whisper a spell and things happen.

There is no special feeling that runs through you when you make something happen.

There had to be a beginning to witches and wizards, just like there was a beginning to man, so someone had to come up with an idea of using a wand just like someone had to come up with the idea of using fire.

I think that the wand is just used to channel someone's magic power and concentrate it, only using a fraction of what a witch could really do.

Sweating and panting, I hold my hands back over the tiny object and focus hard on it and what I want to happen.

To just float it.

It wobbles again before stilling.

I know I can do it, I can move it some, but it's not really working!

I scream in frustration, swinging my hand at an invisible person and, amazingly, there is a clatter.

I turn back to the muggle object to find it all the way across the room.

"That's it." I whisper as a realization clicks. "Don't think, just do. It's the case with all the accidental magic. You don't mean to make it happen, it just does... That's it, Astrid!" I say, whirling on my patiently observing kitten. "I need to just clear my mind; it isn't about concentration at all."

She blinks lazily at me.

I sit down in the center of the room with my legs crossed under me and close my eyes.

My mind races in excitement but I do my best to calm it, taking deep breaths to clear my mind.

Soon, my thoughts slow as I picture a small flame. One by one, I let my thoughts burn away until there is nothing.

I feel my heart slow and I can hear everything in the room, feel the mat sticking to my legs because of sweat, and smell the dust from the long never used room.

I hear my breathing, even though it's completely silent, enter my lungs and as it exits.

It's strange, like a sense of nothingness.

I hold out my hand. "Pen."

Amazingly, something small and light flies into it. A grin spreads across my face, breaking the spell of no thoughts.

So that's it. I have to learn to wipe my thoughts clean of everything. And I could practice that anywhere.

I can't wait to tell Ginny, only after I learn more about it and can teach her too. Then Harry and Ron and Hermione.

I stand from the matted floor and realize with a glance at a clock and the stiffness in my muscles, that I have been sitting there for several hours.

"We better go, Astrid; I want to bathe before the first Quidditch match."

I collect my things into my bag, stacking my notes that I had been taking on one of the desks by the mini library.

Then I pick up my kitty and rush out of the Room of Requirement.

The wind howls against the castle walls and the pounding rain rattles the windows in their slots.

Extra torches and lanterns are lit in the corridors even though it is still relatively early in the day, illuminating the endless darkness with an orange flickering glow.

By the time I'm slipping down the stone steps of Hogwarts, my newly washed hair once again gets drenched as soon as the sky opens up above me.

Big, swollen, raindrops pelt me heavily like stones and the strong wind tries to push me off course of the Quidditch stadium.

I squint through the thick sheets of rain, searching for a familiar flame of red hair. Most of the students are already up in the stands, shouting to their friends over a clap of thunder.

I jump horribly as a hand lands on my shoulder.

"Hermione!" I call to my drenched friend, voice being lost in the wind.

She dips her head closer to my ear and she has to speak loudly for me to understand.

"We're over here!" She latches onto my wrist and tugs me up the rickety bleachers closest to the lake, catching me easily when I slide in the mud.

Ginny, Ron, Hagrid, Dean, Seamus and all the others are already there, all looking as drowned as a rat as the next person,

Ginny takes my other hand as I join them, and bodies close in from all sides, trying to draw warmth from the human mass.

We wait, shivering (yet I was strangely happy), until there is movement on the pitch.

The teams are finally coming out and lining up in front of Madam Hooch.

She must have blown the whistle because the next second, fourteen brooms are shooting into the air with the wind blowing them slightly off course.

I watch with a grimace as they try to fly through this storm and trying to score points as the crowds cheers are lost in claps of thunder.

Personally, I can't understand the appeal of flying so far off the ground with only a thin pole keeping you from falling.

I sniff distastefully, and shout to my best friend, "I don't know why anyone would want to fly in this, or at all really. I much rather prefer my feet on the ground."

I see, rather than hear, her laugh.

"That's just because you yourself can't fly very well."

"Then it seems to me that I have a legitimate reason for my distaste of flying," I grin and again, I watch as she laughs.

Soon Oliver Wood, Gryffindor team captain and catcher, calls for a time out.

I silently feel relieved as the red and gold clad team gathers under a sole and useless umbrella at the edge of the pitch.

Harry looked like he was really struggling up there; he's the smallest player out there and right now is at a disadvantage.

"I'll be right back!" Hermione shouts, releasing my hand and rushing down the creaking wooden bleachers to the small huddle on the ground.

She comes running back up a moment later, tripping over grumpy Ravenclaws.

She squeezes back to my side, taking my hand again, and I let her pull me closer until I'm in a two sided hug with my two best friends on either side as the rain continues to chill me to the bone.

The players are off again, flying over the stands at incredible speeds.

Harry seems to be doing a little better, scanning the wet grounds for any sign of the golden snitch.

A clap of thunder makes the old bleachers shake slightly, and a spider web of lightning splits the sky with a dozen cracks, making my hair stand on end.

I shakily push my sopping hair back away from my eyes and stare nervously up at the blackened sky, every now and then lighting up in brilliant flashes.

It's getting dangerous for the players.

Movement has me looking back to the pitch, and I see a blur of blue robes pelting up the field, Harry racing after and quickly gaining. A glimmer of gold has excitement racing in my veins and me hopping to my feet along with the rest of the eager students.

But then it seems that someone put a silencing charm on the entire stadium as all noise cuts off.

A horrible wave of cold and a feeling of loneliness washes over me, making me pull away from everyone, even my friends, as I search for what I know to be the cause.

At least a hundred dementors fan out across the entire field, hooded faces staring up at my friend high above me on a broom.

It's a horrifying sight with those dark, dark, cloaked figures and flashes of lightning illuminating them in a horror film type way.

But more terrifying than even them, is the falling, falling figure, straight towards the ground with a dead weight type force.

Everything inside me seems to short circuit and go blank.

My thoughts flat-line, the cold and loneliness dissipates, and the fear of the dementors just vanishes.

My arms throw out in the deadening silence, and I think I say something like 'stop,' and right before Harry goes splat on the ground, he freezes in the air, so suddenly, so fast, so impossibly that less than a second passes before he falls the last two feet to the ground, that no one could have even noticed that brief millisecond hover.

The tingling that had been humming through my body turns into a fire, burning me from the inside out. A non-existent hand squeezes my throat making me choke and it's like my life force itself was drained away.

From the corner of my darkening vision, I see a silvery mist blow up on the field.

My legs give out on me, making my knees slam into the old wood, but numbness crawls up my fingertips and I don't feel it.

No one really notices me, all screaming and rushing out of the stands to surround the Boy-Who-Lived, to see if he lived the fall.

But I know that he's alive; I had stopped him- with wandless Magic! It was almost unnoticeable, but I stopped him for just the briefest of moments.

Someone finally seems to notice my crumpled, pale and gasping form, and Ginny crouches next to me to push my short sopping hair out of my eyes.

I can see the worry, the horror in her eyes, for her crush but she stays to make sure I'm okay, pulling her brother back as well to help her lift me.

My limbs are numb and don't seem to work, but a small burning sensation still simmers in my spine.

The shouting is audible again, the volume turned up to the max as drenched and muddy bodies haul the limp form of Harry Potter to the hospital wing.

As we go, more and more feeling returns but I still feel incredibly weak.

"I-I'm fine," I mutter, getting my feet back underneath me and waving Ron forward who is clearly more worried about his best friend who fell fifty feet than the second year that just seems a little faint. "Go on, I'm fine now."

He nods and rushes off, making me grimace as my full weight comes back to me.

Ginny catches me as I stumble and mutters something incomprehensible.

"What was that?" I ask drowsily.

"I said that you're being really daft and should just let people help you."

I smile tiredly. "Really, I'm fine."

She rolls her eyes and drags me onward, shoving past the crowd into the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey rushing about and examining an unconscious Harry.

When she seems satisfied that he is not dead, and has nothing broken, she turns to me where I'm dripping and leaning exhaustedly against my redheaded friend.

"Honesty, I don't know what the ministry is thinking, allowing those things near children." She says breaking off a large chunk of chocolate to hand to me.

I silently eat it, holding my tongue so as not to tell her that it wasn't the dementors that made me so weak but a draining of my magic.

I'll have to write this down; maybe I can train with it and work up a longer resilience to it like a bigger endurance during a run.

The chocolate, though doing nothing, tastes good and Madam Pomfrey leads my tired self to one of the many hospital beds.

I listen idly to the other's worried whispers as Madam Pomfrey finally gets everyone to leave except for the Quidditch team, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

After making sure that I won't fall over on the bed, my best friend rushes over to stare down at her crush with tear-filled, worried eyes.

"Lucky the ground was so soft." Alicia Spinnet whispers to the only other girls on the team.

"I thought he was dead for sure." Fred says gravely.

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

I seem to be the only one that notices the twitch in Harry's fingers as he starts to stir slightly.

"That was the scariest thing I've seen in my life." Angelina Johnson says.

Harry's eyes snap open and he looks around wildly. His hair is plastered to his pale face making his scar stand out more than usual.

He looks as tired as I feel, and that's saying something since I feel about ready to pass out in exhaustion.

He eyes the dripping mud and Fred steps forward.

"Harry!" He says, looking extremely white. "How're you feeling?"

I watch in amusement as he blinks dumbly at all the people around him, and I'm the only one that doesn't give any reaction as he sits up fast in the bad as something finally clicks in his brain.

"What happened?"

"You fell off," Fred says. "Must've been- what- fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died." Alicia says shakily.

Hermione makes a small squeaking noise and I frown at her. It was obvious that she's been crying.

"But the match," Harry insists and I snort (of course that's what he was wanting to know about). "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

A look of horror crosses his face as no one answers him.

"We didn't- loose?"

"Diggory got the Snitch," George says. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it."

I blink in surprise at that. Oliver Wood is the biggest Quidditch nut there ever was and though he's a really great guy, he gets kind of scary when he goes on one of his rampages. I can't imagine him admitting defeat on something like this- he'd rather lose an arm than a match.

"Where is Wood?" Harry asks as if just realizing that he isn't there.

"Still in the showers," Fred says. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry puts his face to his knees and grips his hair.

Fred grabs his shoulder roughly and shakes it.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," George continues.

Starting to feel uncomfortable with this comforting type stuff, I pull out my wand to do a drying charm- my robe were still cold and starting do be uncomfortable.

As I start to dry though, my face drains of color and I become light headed again.

A clatter makes me, and everyone else, aware that I had dropped my wand.

"Oops," I mutter faintly as the room sways. I guess it's too soon to use even wand magic.

"Are you okay, Alex?" Harry asks, noticing me for the first time.

"M fine, jus' tired," I fumble with my tie to take it off. "Think I'll sleep now."

"Maybe I should get Madam Pomfrey," Katie Bell suggests hesitantly.

My mind feels like it's wadding through a bog as I slowly strip to my underwear.

I feel a few hands supporting me, propping me, either helping or restraining as I slip into sleep with a few words following me in.

"God, she's burning up!"


	11. Chapter 11

Ch11

I'm in a small room, or it could be very large, with a ceiling just above my head, or it could be continuing on forever. Endless blindingly white light assaults me as I turn in a circle to look at my surroundings. But there are no surrounding, no color, just nothingness.

Even my body is devoid of any cloths or color- my skin seemingly impossibly pale. The fact that I'm naked does not seem strange here or even uncomfortable.

My light brow hair, that I can only see because it's falling in front of my eyes, is startling in the bleakness.

I lower myself to the floor, texture-less but cold, and fold my knees up to my bare chest and rest my chin on my knees to wait. And I wait and I wait with no thought or sense of time. Years could have passed or mere moments as the chill air caresses me, and I wait.

I blink open my eyes to find myself in a familiar place, beds stretching out on either side of me and the soft glow of a lantern resting on the side table.

Faces swim across my vision until I can see three bodies on the bed beside mine, and another sitting at the end of my own.

They talk animatedly among themselves about nothing in particular, and I sit up in confusion.

I groan though, because my muscles feel more stiff than usual and my head feels weak on my neck, like it's taking all my energy to hold it up.

My slight noise seems to draw their attention to me and suddenly, I'm the one being surrounded.

"Wa's goin on?" I yawn, sleep still making me drowsy, and then frown as the blankets fall away from my chest. "Where'd my clothes go?"

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asks concernedly, brushing my hair out of my face and feeling my forehead like a mother would her child.

Ginny crawls up from the end of the bed to lie beside me.

"I'm sleepy." I mumble. "How long was I napping, a few hours?"

Ron frowns. "Three days more like."

My eyes widen and jaw drops.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey," Harry says getting out of his bed and padding over to her office door to knock. I notice that he's wearing clothes.

"Where are my clothes?" I ask, pulling the covers more securely around me. "What happened?"

"You collapsed, Miss Taylor," Madam Pomfrey says, coming out of her office and shooing Harry back to his bed. "At first, I thought you looked ill because of the dementors, but you had a fever. A very high one at that, and I couldn't seem to heal you with a potion. I'd have to say that exhaustion is your culprit. What have you been doing to make your magical energy deplete that much?"

"Heh." I shift nervously. "Practicing."

Hermione frowns at me, combing her fingers through my hair.

"You should take it easy some."

"You're one to talk," I shoot back at her. "Juggling all those classes can't be easy on you, especially when you go to all of them. How many times do you have to repeat a day to make it to all of them, hm?"

Her eyes widen as all the others just look at me in confusion.

"What's she talkin about?" Ron asks.

"What d'you mean, Alex?" Ginny asks.

Hermione does the slightest shake of her head and I sigh. She should just tell them.

"Nothing, I'm still tired. Did I already miss classes?" I ask.

"No." Ginny tells me. "Breakfast is happening right now; Madam Pomfrey said that Harry could leave today."

"Brilliant," I say, moving to get off the bed- it's not like they haven't already seen me in my knickers.

"Oh no," the overbearing nurse says rushing forward to keep me from my feet. "You just woke up, there's not a chance that I would let you walk out of here to let you exhaust yourself even more. One more day of rest."

I sigh exasperatedly, but since I was already swaying on my feet, I reluctantly lay back in the bed.

"Fine. Ginny, bring me my homework?" I request to my best friend.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you at lunch."

"Yes, yes, now all of you- out."

She herds them all out the door and shuts it with a final sounding slam before whirling on me.

"Now you need to get some more rest. You can go back to your regular dorm tonight, but right now- sleep."

I turn over, pulling my covers up over my chin and I easily slip into a dreamless unconsciousness.

...

The next few weeks find me in the training room, again, during the few minute before classes, not necessarily doing magic, but practicing keeping my mind blank with no thought.

Kind of like meditating. It's fairly easy for me since when I'm at home, I tend to not much like my thoughts so I decide just to not think.

There are no more sudden dementor appearances and the crushing of Hufflepuff by Ravenclaw in the next Quidditch match puts Gryffindors back in the running, much to Wood's enthusiasm.

Even a nice layer of frost on the muddy grounds opens up the dazzlingly white sky, lifting up the once heavy blanket of clouds.

"Alex? A-are you okay?" A kind nervous voice asks, and I turn my head to my best friend to see her looking worriedly at me.

I blink again, shaking off the blankness of my mind, and grin.

"Yeah, I'm great."

She frowns at me in a studying kind of way, like she's looking at one of Snape's complicated potions.

"It's just...for a while now, sometimes you don't look like you're all there."

"I've noticed that too- you're all..blank stare-y" Ron comments from across the table.

"What's wrong?" Hermione presses.

I bite my lip, contemplating, before grinning and sitting forward excitedly.

"Okay, I figured out something really awesome and I've been working with it for a while now. I think I'm ready to show you."

"Show us what?" Harry asks cautiously.

I lean closer over the table, gesturing for them to do the same.

"Meet me on the seventh floor corridor during free time, in front of the Barnabas the Barmy painting."

"But that's-" Ginny starts with a frown but I wave her off.

"Don't worry, it's still our place; I'm showing them a different room."

The other three just look even more confused than before.

After my last class, I wait nervously for them to show up, excitement beginning to buzz in my veins but I force it down.

Ginny is the first to show up, taking my hand with a small frown still on her pouty lips.

I give her a reassuring smile as the others show up in a small group.

I pace the floor three times thinking, 'someplace to train, someplace to train, someplace to train', and the golden trio gape as a door materializes in the wall.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement," I say, pushing the heavy door open and letting them into my familiar training space.

They slowly walk into the room, all with differing looks of amazement.

"What is this place?" Ron asks as Hermione spots the bookshelf and rushes over to it, eyes shining in delight.

"I told you- the Room of Requirement. You walk back and forth in front of where the door would be three times thinking about what you need. Like say a place to study, or a place to hide from enchanted armor that's trying to kill you- not that that has ever happened to me before." I say quickly at their odd looks.

"So this is where you've been going between classes?" Ginny asks, wandering over to the desks and brushing her fingers over my notebook that I had left.

"Yeah. Okay, so, you know how when you're little, you sometimes do accidental magic?"

"Yeah," Hermione says, tuning her attention fully on me as I excitedly stride over to my notes, spreading them out.

"Well it got me thinking- what if we can do accidental magic on purpose?"

"No way," Ron starts to grin.

"That's...not possible." Hermione says, but she sounds uncertain.

"Is it?" I ask tilting my head, teeth glinting in a smug sort of smile.

I force my muscles to relax, sucking in a deep breath as my eyes close.

One by one, I let my thoughts burns away to nothing. I imagine myself back in that white room that I dreamed about, and when my eyes flash open again, everything is in sharper focus and nothing means a thing.

Aware, but not concerned of my friend's curious stares, I step forward and touch one of my many writing utensils that are scattered across the table.

"Change," I intone and a tingling burns through my veins, concentrating in my fingers.

Before our very eyes, the plastic seems to melt and move before configuring into a fork made of silver.

"That's amazing!" Ginny gasps, picking up the newly made material in her hand and turning it over.

I blink a few times before letting my mental bricks fall away.

"How'd you do that?" Harry marvels, pricking his finger on the pointy utensil.

"It's bloody brilliant," Ron gushes.

Hermione studies it feverishly in barely restrained curiosity. "Amazing."

"See, witches and wizards had to start somewhere; they couldn't have always just had a wand in their hand. They made them as tools to, and this is just speculation here, channel their magical power. But by doing so, magicals have given themselves a disadvantage by limiting themselves to wand use. They forgot how to do it without a wand."

"But you figured out how to do something wizards forgot how to do thousands of years ago?" Hermione says doubtfully.

"Oh it's highly unlikely that I'm the first one to discover it. Anyway, wandless magic is more powerful, but it also drains you so there's also a disadvantage there."

"Drains?" Ginny asks and I grin sheepishly.

"You know- depletes your magical energy and makes you pass out for three days?"

Their eyes widen in realization.

"What'd you do to make you that drained?" Harry asks.

"Stop you from falling fifty feet for less that a millisecond?" I say innocently, smiling the cutest smile I can muster.

They blink in stunned silence.

"I knew Harry slowed down," Hermione says in triumph, "I just thought it was Dumbledore!"

"Nope!" I say brightly, slumping into a chair.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch12

"So how do we do it?" Hermione asks eagerly with the light she always gets in her eye when learning something she didn't already know.

I spread all the papers out so they could see my sloppy writing.

"What I've figured out so far is that the trick isn't concentration. You have to clear your mind completely of all thought and just do it. Make it happen."

"How're you supposed to do that?" Ron asks.

I shrug. "I picture myself in a white space. Everything is completely bare and I slowly feed one thought at a time to a small flame until there is nothing left except for me and that void."

Hermione eagerly closes her eyes for her attempt, and the others follow suit more slowly.

Ginny doesn't try at all, instead scooting closer and holding my hand to watch the others curiously.

Minutes tick by, and to pass the boredom, Ginny and I play a few thumb wars and Rock, Parchment, Wand with hardly restrained giggles, and after we get bored of that, I just play with her hand as we watch our friends still forms.

Ron's face is becoming increasingly more frustrated until he growls and throws his chair backward in defeat.

"I give up," he says moodily. "I don't need some stupid wandless Magic, I've got my wand."

Harry groans, opening his eyes as well.

"Ron, I almost had it; you broke my concentration."

Amusement twists in my lips as Hermione's eyebrow twitches.

I know that she is having even more trouble that both of them with questions and her own theories running through her mind, and then cursing herself for thinking.

Hermione will probably have the most trouble turning her mind off.

"You're not going to get it tonight 'Mione. You can practice later."

She sighs and her eyes flick open.

"Fine," Harry and Ron blink in surprise at her so easily giving in. "So are you staying over the Holidays?

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Ron and I are staying with Harry. I have to use the library and Ron says he can't stand to be around Percy any longer."

I roll my eyes at them. "Just admit that you're staying to keep Harry company. Are you staying?" I ask Ginny hopefully.

She squeezes my hand. "Can't, mom wants me home for Christmas. Will you be alright?"

"Why does everyone think that I can't take care of myself?" I say, suddenly getting angry at them treating me like a child, and rip my hand from hers as I stand sharply. "Why does everyone think me a child? A kitten?"

They blink up at me, surprise written clearly in their faces.

"I-"

"I'll be alright. I can take care of myself."

I stand from my seat, knowing somewhere in my head that something isn't quit right in my reaction. Even though I act all embarrassed and stuff when they tease me, I secretly like the attention.

I exit the Room of Requirement with my friends staring confusedly after me.

...

I gag, coughing wetly towards the ground as my hands brace against the stone to keep from face planting.

An annoying laugh sounds above me, followed by two other, deeper laughs.

I grimace as the ache in my stomach spreads to my chest.

A foot snaps out, nailing me once again in the ribs, and I think I hear something groan, maybe it was from me, as I fall onto my side.

My hands close into fists, shaking slightly in tension.

Get up! Don't take this from them!

I lurch forward, slumping to my feet as a blossom of pain pinches the spots I was hit.

Malfoy laughs at me. "Are you going to fight back? Three against one? Or are you going to run?"

I glower at him in real hate, something that I have never felt before towards someone.

I suppress a flinch as the white blond boy reaches out and grabs my face, tilting it up so I'm looking at him.

The skin under my nails breaks and blood makes my palms slick as it drips through the cracks in my fingers.

"Are you going to try to do something, Kitten?"

My teeth groan with how hard my jaw clenches, and my fists tremble, but I don't do anything except continue to level him with a stare.

He pushes me back, making my already uncoordinated body tumble to the ground and bang an elbow on the coffee tab. I gasp and involuntary tears spring in my eyes at the pinching pain.

When I look up, my three tormentors are disappearing out the hole in the wall in the Slytherin common room, to go on their trip to Hogsmeade.

I pull myself up, cursing myself for waking up late and missing the crowed of Slytherins as they left, and effectively subjecting myself to alone time with Draco, Cabbe and Goyle.

Staggering slightly at first, I pick up my hissing and spitting kitty, and gingerly set her on my shoulder while wiping my slightly running nose.

With that, I walk out of the dungeons and climb the steps with a wince at every one.

Finally, I walk into the Great Hall where breakfast is in full swing.

It is much less packed than it normally is, with all the third years gone and most of the people from the years above that.

I slide into the empty seat next to my friend, wincing at the twinge of discomfort that it causes.

"Hey Ginny," I say, taking foods that are closest to me so I don't have to stretch.

My kitten leaps down to land on the table, tiny tail still lashing back and forth in anger.

"Hey," she says distractedly looking around. "Have you seen Harry?"

Amusement quirks my lips at her crush. "Oh, he's gone. Hogsmeade probably."

Ginny turns to me frowning. "I thought he couldn't go?"

"He's not allowed, no," I agree, "but Fred and George gave him an early Christmas gift."

Worry creases her brow, but I shrug it off.

The Twins had shown me the map a few weeks ago when they needed my help to get into the Slytherin common room for a prank, and told me of their plan to give it to Harry.

It was then that I found out for certain that there was a tunnel under the Whomping Willow.

"Don't worry," I tell her, sticking some egg in my mouth. "It's nothing dangerous...probably." I mumble the last part so she wouldn't hear but I think she does by the expression on her face.

"Don't worry so much," I say and she reluctantly nods.

"So what are we doing today?" She asks me, for the moment, forgetting her crush.

I thoughtfully turn my head up to the softly snowing ceiling, and inspiration splits my face in a grin.

"Let's play in the snow."

She tilts her. "You want to play in the snow?"

"I want to play in the snow." I confirm.

She's quiet for a few seconds before shrugging.

"Okay."

When we finally push the large heavy doors open to go outside, the air bites chillingly at my cheeks and for the first time, I don't hate the cold. I get to play in it.

So we tromp carefully down the icy steps and into the two feet of snow that soaks through my pant legs; I had thought to leave my robe in my room so it doesn't drag me down.

Ginny however, had not though to, and there is a look of annoyance on her face as she keeps pushing it out of her way.

Ignoring my new bruises relatively easily, I grin and tackle her into the white fluff, sending a cold cloud of it into the air and getting a handful of it down my shirt.

My laugh is loud as she shoves me off her and quickly scoops up a snowball to throw at me; her face is already flushed from the cold as I roll away as quickly as I can.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch13

The first few days of the winter Holliday has me staying up late by the Whomping Willow and sleeping until noon the next morning.

I hardly see any of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, though sometimes I run into over worked girl in the library carrying an armload of books. The only time I was able to talk to her is the all too short walk up to Gryffindor tower, helping to hold half of her stash of books, and during dinner.

Loneliness quickly sets in as the days pass without seeing much of any of my friends, and often times, I just wander around the castle, exploring and finding new shortcuts. Sometimes, I sit up in the Owlrey with Astrid and all of the shivering owls, just to not be alone for hours on end.

The castle is even more empty than usual with almost everyone going home, including my housemate terrors, and I have nothing to do other than wander around and practice wandless Magic.

On Christmas morning, I wake up alone in the second year dorm and it is still so dark, but I had learned somehow the difference between morning dark and night dark (plus, I had brought a clock this year to actually know the time).

Upon waking up, I cough and sputter as I breathe in a mouth full on fur in my surprise at having my cat actually sleeping on my face.

She scrambled away as I sit up, scratching me slightly as she rushes to keep from falling. She swipes a claw at me to tell me of her annoyance of being woken up so roughly.

"Incendio." I mumble after pulling my wand from out from beneath my pillow, and the torches in the room flicker to life with a strong flame.

My eyes land on the pile of presents at the end of my bed, and a grin splits my face.

I struggle out of my blankets and pull the very closest one toward me to open.

This year, I get my annual pouch of ten galleons from my father, a small tub of homemade chocolates from Hagrid, different kinds of wizard and muggle candy from both Ron and Harry, a muggle fantasy book from Hermione, and a small silver charm bracelet with a single serpentine charm from Ginny- a reminder of the chamber of secrets. I even got a small box of chocolate frogs from someone who didn't write who it was from.

I happily clip the bracelet to my wrist, tuck my wand into my pajama waistband, and slip fluffy socks onto my chilly feet before setting my sleepy kitty into my shoulder and heading down to breakfast in my PJs.

My mood quickly dims though at seeing practically no one in the great hall. Even only three of the teachers showed up at all, and I would be alone in the huge echoing room at the Slytherin table as I quietly ate.

My stomach fills rather quickly, having not been very hungry before coming down, so I shuffle off back to the Slytherin common room. The few students that stayed are sitting around the fire chatting, but look up as I pass them with blank stares as if they have never seen me before.

At lunchtime, I'm very reluctant to go back down, but I do in hopes of seeing my friends at some point today to thank them for their gifts.

To my great surprise and relief, they are there. Not just that, but all the tables hand been shoved aside with one single one in the middle to sit thirteen, including a teacher that I have never seen before, fidgeting nervously.

I slide into a seat opposite of my three friends and give them an easy smile.

"Thanks for the gifts guys, they're great."

Hermione grins easily, and reaches across the mashed potatoes to squeeze my hand. "Yours too." She says before releasing me and returning her hands to her fork where she scoops some peas into her mouth.

After nearly two hours of talking and catching up with my friends, I learn that they were so busy because Buckbeak, the hippogriff that scratched Malfoy, is on trial and they are helping Hagrid with research. Harry also enthusiastically tells me that he got the Firebolt for Christmas, but Hermione's grimace confuses me slightly. I decided not to comment on it, though, as both Ron and Harry stand up to leave, looking a little ill from eating so much.

A shriek has me dropping my fork spastically, my heart thudding in fear as I turn wide eyed to the Professor I had never seen before.

"My dears!" She says. "Which of you left your seat first? Which? When thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

I blink dumbly at the bug-eyed lady and tilt my head. What?

"Dunno," Ron says, looking uneasily to Harry.

"I doubt it will make a difference," McGonagall says coldly, making me further confused. "Unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall."

I slap my hand over my mouth to muffle my snickers. The Professor who I now take to be the Divination teacher by Harry's stories, professor Trelawney, looks highly affronted.

"Coming?" Harry asks Hermione, and she shifts almost guiltily.

"No," she mutters, "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall."

He nods and the two start to walk away, mumbling something about taking more classes.

I give my older friend a questioning look, but she avoids my eyes and stares down at her plate in silence. Instead of pushing her to talk to me, I lightly touch the back of her hand in my best comfort attempt.

It seems to work as she relaxes some until most everyone leaves.

She stands as McGonagall does and she takes my hand to show that I could follow.

"Professor," she says nervously, stopping her head of House just outside the doors.

"Yes, what is it Miss Granger?"

"Well, Harry got a Christmas present, a Firebolt, but there was no name. I think it might have been Sirius Black."

Understanding washes over me and I bite my lip to keep from interrupting.

McGonagall adorns a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, well, I'll have to take a look. It is a very good possibility."

She turns, presumably to head to the Gryffindor common room, but I stop Hermione before she can follow after them.

Hermione had been stressing a lot with her workload, and a spat with her two best friends right now might be too much for her to handle.

She looks down at me with concerned and nervous brown eyes.

"They are going to be really upset," I warn her. "They'll feel betrayed."

"I know," she says with a grimace, pats me on the shoulder, and then hurries after her head of House.

...

"I got you a Christmas present," I say to Snuffles as he rests his large head in my lap.

I fiddle with my pocket, taking out a long silver chain that has a dog tag attached to it. He sniffs it as I hold it out to him.

"It must get really lonely out here by yourself, so I kind of got this for you. It says 'Not Alone'. I know you're a dog and everything, but I feel like you actually understand me when I talk. You're always here when I'm lonely and I hope that I can do the same for you."

He stares up at me with large dark eyes, and it really does feel like her knows what I'm saying. I slip the chain around his neck, letting it hang loosely on his chest, so much so that I worry that it might get caught on something.

Snuffles lays his heavy head back on my lap, letting out a big sigh.

A smile makes its way to my face as I ruffle his fur and play with his ears. I flop back in the snow to stare up at the brightly twinkling stars.

I almost fall asleep there, outside in the snow, lying next to the warm body of my k9 friend. Heat just seems to roll off him and it keeps the teeth chattering chill a bay, though my nose and cheeks are numb and pink with cold.

As the full moon climbs higher in the sky, my eyes droop more and more.

It's very peaceful lying out under the stars, and I shift unconsciously onto my side. A thick fog seems to descend over my mind as I go into an unaware stupor. Cold grips me, wrapping me tightly in its blanket. I curl tighter into myself for warmth, but a shiver rakes my body.

Then a weight, a warm, musky smelling weight, rests over me and I'm warmer again as something is pulled up and tucked under my chin, leaving only my face to the freezing air.

I sigh, relaxing my muscles as something settles in beside me, producing a wall of heat that lets me slip into an easier sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch14

I don't wake up to darkness like I do every morning, but a bright yellow light that blinds me behind my eyelids. It's so different, that I startle forward, sitting up fast and sucking in a sharp breath to look wildly around.

Stark white snow reflects the rising sun, making me squint against the glare.

I'm outside, beside the Whomping Willow as it sways eerily on the hill. I slept out here, in the snow, so why aren't I a frozen ice cube?

My eyes catch the thick, heavy blanket that had fallen from my shoulders when I sat up, and tilt my head questioningly. I hadn't taken this out here, so who could have placed it over me? Everyone was asleep when I came out here...

A low groan makes me aware of the heat warming my side and I take in Snuffles's dark eyes as they stare at me.

"Is this yours?" I ask, lifting the blanket slightly off my lap.

His ears perk and tongue lolls out to the side, making me smile.

"Thanks," I say standing up and stretching my stiff muscles. "But you should get out of here before someone sees you."

I lay the blanket over his back as he stands and watch as he trots off to the tree and disappears down the hole.

I collect the empty tin and parcel, and head up the slippery steps of the school and enter the huge castle doors.

"Alex?" A voice calls not two steps through the great doors.

I squeak, nearly dropping my armload as I snatch out my wand and quickly banish the things in my hands. I have no idea where I banished them too, but I could always look for them later.

I turn, shivering slightly from cold, to see the stressed and worried face of Hermione.

"What were you doing outside? I didn't even see you for breakfast, so I figured that you slept in."

She walks forward, touching my cheek slightly and her frown deepens as she feels the chill to it.

"I did, I mean, I fell asleep out side. I wanted to look at the stars, so I went out, but then, well..."

Her eyes turned horrified.

"You could get sick sleeping in the snow, and what if Sirius Black found you?!"

I was touched, but somewhat annoyed by her worry.

I can take care of myself.

"Then I would offer him a steak, because he looks way too thin to be healthy in the picture of him in the Daily Prophet. Anyway, what are you doing out here? Why aren't you with Ron and Harry?"

My face relaxes into sympathy as her eyes water, and she launches herself into my arms, crying.

Hugging her is awkward with my shortness, but I somehow manage to loop my arms around her in my best comfort.

"You were right, they hate me!" She sniffles and gasps into my neck.

Relaxing more into the hug, I brush my fingers through her soft, poufy, hair. I hope she never changes it; I think it's quite endearing.

"They don't hate you," I tell her softly. "They're just upset. They'll forgive you in the end because they know that you only did what you thought was right."

I tug her down so we could sit against the wall with he head resting on my shoulder. After some time, I stop patting her head.

"You can always hang out with me while they're all huffy." I offer.

"I can't, I have homework, and I need to do some more research for Hagrid's court case." She brightens suddenly. "You could help me though, right?"

"Nope!" I say standing and pulling her to her feet with me. "At least, not yet. From now until lunch, you and I are going to have fun. You're going to forget about school, Harry and Ron, the trial, rules, and anything else that might be eating at you." I say.

"But-"

"Nope, there is something I've been wanting to try all break but it would be no fun without someone else. So come on." I tug her, complaining, back out the doors and into the blinding snow.

I dash down the slope, tripping and skidding closer to the glimmering lake. Hermione starts to lock up again as I don't make a move to slow or stop as the water's edge draws closer, and finally releasing her arm, I launch myself from the snowy ground.

Tingles of magic spread through my body and as my foot touches, frost solidifies the water, turning it to ice and spreading outward from my feet, hurriedly racing to the bank on every side of me.

Hermione's startled shout breaks off as she realizes that I hadn't plunged into icy waters, and instead gasps as the murky grey turns to crystalline white.

I grow taller as skates made of ice form under my feet as I glide over giddily to my gaping and tense looking friend.

"Come on," I say, tugging her from the snowy bank, and she wobbled slightly until her own ice skates form under her feet.

"H-how did you... Alex this is dangerous."

"Relax Hermione, don't think so much. Just go with it."

I let go over her hand, pushing myself backwards with a grin and just feeling the vibrations of magic warming my body.

She gives a wobbly smile and experimentally glides forward.

I crack up as she falls flat on her butt.

She gives her own laugh, the constant crease that has been present on her brow easing slightly.

After a few more tries she gets a relatively good idea of how to do it, and we just skate for a while, laughing when the other missteps or falls. Eventually though, I start to feel tired and drained from the amount of magic I've been using a constant supply of. That of course, makes me start actually thinking of the magic I'm using. A crunch sound alerts me to quickly shifting and dissipating ice, cracks spider webbing out.

Hermione is just stumbling into the snowy bank laughing wildly, when the ice groans around me.

Again, this just makes me think of it even more.

I only have time to mutter a half hearted, "uh oh," before I'm plunged in frigid water as the rest of my magic crumbles around me.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A sneeze lurches me awake, and I groan at seeing the familiar surroundings.

"Hello Madam Pomfrey," I greet.

She sniffs dismissively. "You are in here more often than everyone in this school combined- including Mr. Potter! Honestly, I don't know how you can still be alive with the amount of accidents you have. How in Merlin's beard did you end up in the lake?"

I focus on a worried Hermione who is wisely staying quiet and out of the way on the bed opposite of me.

"We were playing in the snow when I ran out on the dock, slipped, and then fell in."

"Merlin," she sighs again, shaking her head and pushing a potion into my hands before disappearing back into her quiet office.

As soon as she disappears, Hermione descends like a worried mother.

"-can't believe I let you talk me into it. Never again will we do something so stupid and compulsive. You could have died! Oh, what would Ginny say if she came back to find you frozen to death for one of your crazy experiments."

"Hermione," I groan, stopping her rant short and pushing away her hands that are searching for any visible damage. She doesn't seem to agree with Madam Pomfrey that I am no longer in danger. "I'm fine, you're fine, everyone is fine! Stop worrying and relax some."

"Relax!" She scoffs, scowling at me now that she's reassured herself that I'm, indeed, alright.

I laugh, climbing out of the bed and pulling on my still sopping and freezing pjs. A quick drying charm has me warm and comfortable as I sip my body heating potion.

Hermione seems to become even more disgruntled at my lack of concern about my 'near death experience'.

I set my cup on the desk with a sigh, taking her shoulders where she hovers over me.

"Hermione," I say firmly, making sure to keep eye contact. "Really, it was nothing. I started to get tired from keeping up the constant magic and started to think about it. I lost control before I could blank out my mind. But I'm fine."

She sighs and decides to just hug me, making me grin into her shoulder.

"Now come on," she pulls away, "we might still have time to get some lunch before it all disappears."

I excitedly pull her out of the hospital wing, stomach rumbling in hunger. After all, I missed breakfast.

Despite her claims to not do stupid and compulsive things with me, I manage to drag her around plenty, getting her to relax and smile and enjoy herself some. In the afternoons, I help her with research and anything else she 'needs' to do.

We even go to the Room of Requirement for 'books that will win us Buckbeak's case.'

All in all, my winter break becomes much more bearable, fun even, though I'm still relieved to welcome the Hogwarts Express train when in arrives in Hogsmeade Station. (I'm not technically allowed off the grounds but I know all the secret passageways by heart. Thank you one-eyed witch!)

And then school is starting up again with me falling into an uneasy routine of classes, helping Hermione, making Hermione hang out with Ginny an I, and trying to convince the two hardheaded Gryffindor friends to make up with their other best friend.

The term passes slowly with Slytherin narrowly beating Ravenclaw, and Hermione, Ginny and I finally finishing the research for Hagrid.

Finally, finally, Harry's Firebolt is returned to him and the three friends make up for just a few minutes before Ron discovers the bloody covers from his rat.

I feel slightly guilty for cheering the orange cat on as Harry whispers what happened over dinner when I question the redhead and burnet clearly newly angry with one another.

Finally, the time for the big Slytherin verses Gryffindor match arrived and I shrink down in my seat when Malfoy saunters over to examine the broom while simultaneously insulting Harry.

He scowls at seeing me and promptly ignores my presence, which I am very grateful for.

And then Ginny is dragging me up the bleachers to have a good view of the pitch and, more importantly, Harry. Her crush for him has only grown when he went down into the chamber to save her. I myself can't understand the fascination of a crush, but that's just me.

Apparently I don't understand because, "you're, well, you."

I smile slightly at her eager look and relax into the wooden bench as my best friend stands on her very tippy toes to see exactly when the Quidditch players walk out onto the field.

My eyes fall on the Whomping Willow, widening to saucers when I see the outline of a large dog standing in the shadows.

What's Snuffles doing out here?

"Alex, are you okay?" Ginny asks, looking at me curiously.

I leap to my feet, plastering an easy smile to my face.

"Yeah, I'm great," I reply, shaking off my surprise as I take her offered hand. She returns my grin with a matching one and bounces slightly in place.

"Oh, I hope we win!"

"Of course we will, Harry's playing, and with a Firebolt too." I blanch slightly at the 'we'. I'm not a Gryffindor, there is no we when I'm talking about them and me; I'm Slytherin.

I sigh thinking about the awkwardness I always feel walking into my own dorm room, how they are all strangers to me.

I allow that train of thought to drift away as the players finally make an appearance on the pitch, grinning and cheering like all the rest in the stands.

Everyone is on their feet cheering as the teams take off into the air, and my briefly searching glances of Ron and Hermione are futile.

Very soon into the game, Harry dives for the Snitch that is quickly followed by a Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker. She's a very good flyer, I can easily tell, and Harry has lost sight of the Snitch after having to swerve to avoid a Bludger.

Amusement flits in my chest when I soon realize that Harry is being very careful and gentle with the female Seeker, making me snicker. That will be his downfall if it's not fixed soon.

He should just act like it's another boy he's going against.

Oliver Wood seems to notice this too and is quick to correct him.

And on in goes with Cho trailing the Boy-Who-Lived until a commotion on the field ground has my breath hitching.

What appear to be three dementors are looking up at the flying boy. Another hard look has my shoulders relaxing and a scowl twisting my lips.

Ginny gasps, just noticing them as well, and clutches my arm.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I didn't know that they were going to do this." She, also, relaxes when she realizes that they are not real dementors.

"Not your fault," she sighs before she once again sucks in sharply in surprise.

A beautiful white and shimmering stag falls from the sky, charging the three fake dementors.

I choke on a laugh as they tumble to the ground screaming in a heap of black robes, limbs, and hood.

I, along with everyone else in the stands, poor out onto the field as a grinning Harry lands with the small, golden, Snitch. I spot Ron practically doubled over in laughter as he charges his friend.

I listen in satisfaction as McGonagall yells at the four mean boys, and fifty points are taken from Slytherin.

"Come on, Harry!" George says, pushing through the crowed. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"

I happily tromp after Ginny as she and the rest on the Gryffindor crowd pushes in around me and urges me into the castle.

Only at the portrait door do I realize that I do not belong here. Gryffindor is not my house, not my victory.

My legs lock, causing Ginny's tugging hand to pull her to a stop as well, looking back curiously.

Understanding makes her frown briefly before she smiles and tugs me hard, making me stumble forward.

"Come on, you should get to celebrate too."

A hand clamps down on my shoulder, the mischievous eyes of Fred Weasley grinning down at me.

"Yeah, Kitten, you're one of us!" He presses me forward, making me trip over the edge of the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room for the first time.

I look around the crammed, circular room, so much brighter than my own, with windows streaming natural outside light and food from the kitchens laid out on the tables.

My eyes immediately land on Hermione who seems to be the only one not joining in in the festivities. Deciding to put an end to that, I march over and prod her between the eyes where that crease is, making her look up.

She doesn't seem to notice that I'm not supposed to be here. "Please, Alex, I've still got four hundred and twenty two pages to read!" She says sounding slightly hysterical.

I sigh, folding my arms. "Just do a simple quick-read spell."

She opens her mouth, closes it, then blinks.

"Oh."

I only stay for a few hours until dark before sneaking out with a mumbled goodbye to a distracted Ginny. After quickly leaving food by the willow, I exhaustedly stumble down the dungeon stairs to my own dark and cold dorm room.

I falter upon entering the common room as there are only three people left sitting I front of the fire, the rest of the Slytherins sulking in their respective dorm rooms.

Draco glares at me as the stone wall closes, blocking my only possible escape, and rises to his feet with clenched, angry fists.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The next morning at breakfast, wincing and bleary-eyed, I hear of Sirius Black almost killing Ron.

This makes me pause and rethink my initial Black is innocent theory, but quickly shake it off. If he were a killer, he could have just slit Ron's throat before he could make a sound, before going off in search of Harry. He is there for some other reason; I just have to figure it out.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asks when I stretch too far for the jam and wince, quietly gasping.

Like a switch, Ron, Hermione, and Harry's head turns to me, an unnatural concern in their eyes.

"Fine," I mumble, lowering my gaze. Sometimes I could swear that they know the real reason behind my injuries, but surely they would say something. Oh, it would be mortifying if they found out just how week I really am!

Slowly, very slowly, they turn away, meeting eyes with each other. When Ron and Hermione's connect, they seem to remember their anger and quickly go back to pretending that the other doesn't exist.

I carefully spread the jelly that Harry delicately places right in front of me, nodding in thanks.

Ginny also seems to think that they know something she doesn't, and takes another studying look at me. I give her a bright smile that has her relaxing and returning it. Just like that, the whole thing is forgotten.

A few more days pass without anything noteworthy, other than poor Neville getting a howler and me having a good laugh on Saturday when I saw Malfoy, for some reason, racing through the big oak doors covered in mud.

Also, in other news, to my immense relief and glee, Hagrid won the case thanks to mine and Hermione's research, which I was also told on Saturday with a tackle by a very enthusiastic third year girl.

"Thank you so much, Alex, the books and information you helped me find made Hagrid sure to win, not to mention your testimony of Malfoy faking. There's just the final appeal and the whole case is over."

"Of course," I say around her fluffy hair. "Hagrid's my friend too, and an animal shouldn't suffer because of a stupid boy trying to prove a point."

She pulls away, eyes glimmering in unshed tears.

Then she spots Harry and Ron coming towards us and hurries over to tell the fantastic news.

I watch their expressions critically until Hermione lunges at the Weasley boy for a hug and his face softens in apology as well. Just like that, all is well again and I sneak away to find Ginny.

Easter Holidays pass quickly with me doing fun experiments and just talking with my best friend in our 'somewhere safe' room, and dragging Hermione away from her stressing homework whenever possible.

The night before the huge Quidditch match has me lying out in the grass by the Whomping Willow with Snuffle's large head resting on my stomach and Astrid tucked uncomfortably into my armpit. The stars are incredibly bright that night, like silver specks drifting in a sea of black ore.

The castle's outline against the sky looks almost mystical from my prospective, outlined and casting a dark shadow over its eerily quiet grounds.

That moment, stretched out under the clear sky, is perfect for turning over my suspicions and ideas in my head. It's easy to let my mind drift and make connections that it normally wouldn't.

What I am thinking about is Sirius Black, the dementors not being able to capture him, Ron with Scabbers, Scabbers' toe, Peter Pettigrew's finger, and my dear companion Snuffles.

"You're him, aren't you?" My murmur is soft, but startling against the previous silence.

Snuffles ears twitch to let me know that he's awake and listening.

"Black? You're him?"

His head jerks up off my stomach, so I sit up to watch his gleaming eyes turn scrutinizing.

"An animagus? It's alright if you are; I already told you that I though Sirius Black was innocent."

Both of us are still for a moment before the dog starts to shift and melt away.

Sirius Black sits two feet away, legs crossed and with a cautious, yet curious expression. He doesn't look like he did in those pictures of him. His hair isn't as matted or greasy (I started giving Snuffles baths once a month), he isn't skin and bones (no doubt because I've been feeding him every night), and he doesn't look stark mad.

Though I had suspected and played with the idea in my head, it finally seems to sink in that Snuffles, the dog that I spilt all my secrets too without a second thought, is the convicted murderer that everyone thinks is trying to kill one of my friends.

My head falls into my hands and I let out a low groan.

"God, the things that I told you!"

He chuckles roughly, sounding gruff like he hasn't used his voice in a long time.

"You'd be amazed at the secrets a person tells a random stray dog."

I snort, somehow easily accepting that Snuffles isn't just my doggie companion like I originally thought, but an actual person that could spread my secrets. I thank all that is not dark that I didn't tell him the very very big one.

"Random!" I scoff. "No, you're here for Pettigrew, right?"

He blinks in surprise before shrugging in confirmation. "You're very perceptive. How did you know that I'm Black?"

I sigh, laying back in the grass where my kitty curls back into my side, purring.

"Little things, and I wasn't actually sure. It just would have made sense."

"How?" He presses.

"The way you actually seem like you know what I'm saying, your reactions to certain things, how the dementors can't find you, how you escaped, how you got into the castle without being noticed. Little things. And you don't need to worry about the rat anymore- Crookshanks ate him."

He shakes his head. "He's very good at faking his death."

"...huh."

He nods and we fall into silence for a while. The moon peaks over the edge of the tallest tower, forming a stark contrast in shades.

An idea starts to form in my head, making me less tense as a plan starts to form.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Getting my plan into action failed miserably. The whole thing centered around the Maurderers Map of Mischief. Well, turns out that Harry 'lent' it to Professor Lupin.

Brilliant Harry; really blooding brilliant.

On the bright side, he won the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor. He and everyone else seem really happy for the next week until the day of Hagrid's last appeal. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all seem tense.

Even Ginny notices, though they just brush it off when we ask.

I decide to just let it go as everyone stands up to go back to the dorms and I do my normal branching off to the kitchens.

After getting my normal bag (I had found it hanging off the astronomy tower), I sneak back through the giant doors in the entrance hall.

"Alex?"

I do a little strangled squeal at the call of my name, flinching away from the voice and heart racing in fright.

My eyes search the space the voice came from, but all I see is rock and grass and castle.

Then the air shimmers and I'm staring at my three friends, looking at me in confusion and suspicion.

I sigh in relief at seeing them, my heart calming.

"What are you doing?" Ron asks, eyeing my duffle bag suspiciously.

"I'm feeding a stray dog that I found, what are you doing out here? And where did you get an invisibility cloak from?" I ask, admiring the silky silver garment.

Harry opens his mouth to, presumably, answer my questions, but Hermione lurches to my side with creased eyebrows that only mean she's worried.

"A stray dog?" She frets, "what if it bit you- it could have diseases!? What if you got sick? Where did you even find this dog; do you know how dangerous it is to be out here by yourself?"

I snatch one of her fluttering hands out of the air to hold comfortingly.

"I'm fine 'Mione, nothing will hurt me."

It doesn't seem to comfort her any but she does seem to calm down some.

I turn back to Ron and Harry. "So where are you headed- Hagrid's?"

"Yeah," Harry nods. "Want to come?"

I shrug.

"Sure."

So they throw the cloak back over them, and I marvel at my disappearing body as they squeeze me under as well.

It takes me a moment until I get the hand of their shuffling footsteps and am able to match their practiced pace without tripping over a foot.

Soon, I bang on the door to Hagrid's hut.

The half-giant opens the door pale-faced and trembling in nervousness.

"It's us!" Harry hisses. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispers, but steps aside and let's us in. Harry quickly pulls off the cloak as soon as the door is shut tight. "Wan' some tea?" He asks.

"I'll do it, Hagrid." Hermione offered quickly, taking in his shaking hands.

She goes to the cupboard as Hagrid reaches for the big kettle.

"You don't need to worry about anything Hagrid," I tell him, patting his arm as far up as I could reach. "You already won the case- this is just for show."

Ron nods in agreement. "Alex is right; you'll do fine."

Hermione lets out a little shriek, making me jerk.

"Ron! I- I don't believe it- it's Scabbers!"

Ron gapes at her as I tense.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carries the milk jug over to the table and turns it upside down. Scabbers comes sliding out with a frantic squeak.

My eyes narrow at his missing toe and lung at the nearly hairless rat. I scoop him up before Ron gets the chance to, or Scabbers gets the chance to run again.

Tears come into my eyes as he bites my fingers hard enough to draw blood but I don't let go.

"Hey!" Ron gives a startled yell.

"Come on, we have to go."

"Not until you give me my rat." Ron demands.

"Alex is right, yeh gotta go. They're comin'..." Hagrid says glancing outside the window at a group of men coming down the steps of the castle. "I'll let yeh out the back way."

I spot Buckbeak tethered to a tree in the pumpkin patch, before the Invisibility Cloak is draped around me and we are rushing back up the hill.

"Ouch!" I hiss as my hands get shredded. "Stupid rat, hold still!"

"Shh, someone will hear us." Hermione whispers at me as I accidentally elbow her.

"It's not me- it's the stupid rat-"

"Stop it, you're hurting him," Ron growls in response to his pet's writhing and shrieking.

"He's hurting me!" I growl before ripping off the cloak in frustration.

It doesn't matter now anyway; I'll only be seen if someone happens to look out a window. "That's it Petigrew, hold still!"

"Petigrew? Hey, where are you going?" Harry says, trying to snatch me back.

"Come on," I call behind me. "I'm tired of hiding stupid secrets. I'm gonna introduce you to Snuffles."

I march toward the Whomping Willow, unease tingling in my gut. What if I'm wrong?

No. I know I'm not. It makes the most sense.

They follow, abate reluctantly, behind me until we reach the tree.

Snuffles appears instantly at the base of the tree, takes one look at Pettigrew, and steps on the knot at the base of the tree.

Immediately, the branches freeze in their swaying and I duck forward without hesitation, wincing at the rat's frantic squeals and biting.

My friends, however, seem frozen as I approach the tunnel, uncertain and confused.

I look back at them, taking in their unease. "Trust me." I say and crawl forward the best I can with Pettigrew still struggling in my hands.

Suddenly, teeth clamp down on my sleeve and starts dragging me.

"Thanks," I breathe in relief as I'm able to concentrate on just not letting the rat get away.

I'm dragged for what seems like hours, clothes getting dirt all over them and in my mouth, but I stay silent even as the tunnel starts to slope up.

Finally a small light appears around a bend and I'm sat down in a very disordered room.

I hardly pay attention to the pealing paper from the walls, broken furniture, or questionable stains on the floor.

Snuffles turns into Sirius and leads me through the falling apart Shrieking shack and into a bedroom with a magnificent four poster bed with dusty hangings. Crookshanks lies lazily in the middle of the bed.

I dump the rat in a glass jar Sirius offers me, grateful to be rid of the writhing, biting rodent.

"You need to tell Harry everything when he gets here," I tell him, folding myself onto the giant bed with a grimace as I shake off droplets of blood from the small wounds on my hands. "And Pettigrew has to be taken in, not killed, so you can be proven innocent and take care of Harry."

He sighs heavily, leaning back into a busted dresser.

"He might not even want to come live with me."

I snort. "Trust me. He hates his relatives. He'd be thrilled to move in with you."

He moves away from the wall with crisp white bandages. I briefly wander where he got them with no wand, before letting the thought die.

It's irreverent to the moment and he carefully wraps my bleeding fingers.

"Thanks," I say when he's done, just as a creak has me pausing to listen.

Suddenly, Sirius is shoved to the floor by an invisible force as two of my friends appear out of thin air.

"No!" I gasp as Harry's cloak slips off of Ron and I see his arm raised to deliver a punch.

Harry and Hermione surround me as the redhead's fist makes his head snap back.

"It's alright, Alex," Hermione tries to smooth, but I push her away to try to get to the small scuffle that consists of Ron trying to hit Sirius and Sirius doing his best not to get hit and knock the boy off him.

I finally grab the boy and haul him off with difficulty. I put myself between the Gryffindors and animagus, eye throbbing from where I caught an elbow.

"Just calm down," I gasp, "it's not what you think."

"You've been helping that murderer try to kill Harry!" He accuses, snapping his hand up to point at me.

The quick hand movement, the familiar ache of a recent injury, and the rage in his eyes has me flinching so hard that my foot catches and I fall on my butt.

Everyone in the room seems to cringe and Hermione quickly ducks forward to rest a calming hand on Ron's shoulder. He doesn't need calming though, because that anger seemed to have completely disappeared after I fell.

"We all know that that's not true. Let's just calm down and let her explain."

"If anything, she was tricked. We already know that she thinks he's innocent." Harry says, well-disguised hate directed at the man still on the ground behind me.

Recovering from my brief disorientation, I scramble to my feet to grab the jar with the rat in it.

"Scabbers!" Ron says taking a few quick steps forward, only stopping when I dodge his grab attempt.

Footsteps, footsteps not in this room, sound beneath the floorboards- someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione suddenly shouts, making me jump. "WE'RE UP HERE- SIRIUS BLACK- QUICK!"

Moving fast, Harry draws his wand, pointing it at Sirius's face. I had unintentionally moved from between them.

There is a rush of footsteps and the door bursts open again, splintering off its hinges.

Professor Lupin hurtles into the room, face bloodless, his wand raised and ready.

I moan in despair, sure that Black and I will never get the chance to explain the truth.

Lupin glances around the room, taking in everything out of place on a person or another.

"Expelliarmus!" He shouts and all the wands, fly into the air where he deftly catches them.

"Where is he, Sirius?"

My breath catches as Snuffles raises his hand and points at me. Only he's not pointing at me. He's pointing at Pettigrew.

"But then... why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-" I start to grin as Lupin's eyes widen, staring at his old friend as if he's seeing something beyond Black. "-unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?"

"Yes!" I cheer, jumping up into the air in my excitement. "Exactly!"

Sirius grins at me before nodding to the other man as the others look at me like I've gone mad.

I swear I'm shaking in a repressed squeal as Lupin's wand drops and he strides forward to clasp Blacks hand and heave him to his feet. He embraces him like a brother.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione shrieks, pointing at our professor.

"Sirius Black was not the Potters' Secret Keeper!" I say loudly, knowing that my friend was about to start ranting and that things would get bad fast if that happened.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Everyone is silent, looking at me with rapt attention.

"Sirius Black was not a death eater, he did not betray your father, Harry, and he did not kill Peter Pettigrew."

"Alex, a whole street full of muggles saw him do it," Hermione tells me softly.

I give a little scream through my teeth in frustration. Why won't they just believe me?

"Professor Lupin, can you please just change him back so they can see?" I sigh, tossing him the jar with Scabbers in it. Ron makes a noise of protest.

"Pettigrew is an animagus, like Snuffles here."

Lupin chokes on a snort as he unscrews the lid, while Black scowls at him.

"I'm not really sure why, or how, but they became animagi. I suspect that Professor Lupin and your father were animagi too."

"Actually, he's a werewolf," Hermione says, still scowling at the professor.

I make a surprised noise in the back of my throat.

"Really?"

"Very good Hermione. When did you figure it out?" He says, head down in what I think is shame.

"Ages ago. When Professor Snape made us do those essays."

"Snape?" Black growls.

"Just change Pettigrew already, or we'll be here all night. We can explain things later. The point is, Sirius convinced James to make Pettigrew the Secret Keeper because anyone who knew them would know that Black was closest to James. Pettigrew betrayed them and Black cornered Pettigrew and Pettigrew blew up the street full of muggles, escaping into the sewers as a rat. Now Professor, please do the spell and show them that we aren't all as bonkers as I am sounding."

Lupin clears his throat, swallows, and points his want at the now squealing rat in his hand.

A flash of blue-white light erupts from his wand, freezing Scabbers in mid air where is small grey form twists madly.

Ron yells and the rat falls and hits the floor. Another blinding flash of light and then-

Peter Pettigrew sprouts from the rat, short and balding fat man who looks like he lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

I grin triumphantly, sure that things could only get better from here. That is until Snape shows up, scowling and wand raised. He eyes Pettigrew, glancing around the room and taking in the atmosphere.

He sneers, lowering his wand.

"Would someone like to explain?"

"Black is innocent, Pettigrew did it, Sirius was after Pettigrew the entire time." I rush out quickly.

Snape narrows his eyes at me, and then turns his stare to Peter.

Ron points at the mouse animagis. "I let you sleep in my bed!"

Pettigrew looks absolutely terrified.

"They're lying!" He squeaks desperately. "Black used his dark magic and brainwashed poor Alexis."

"Oh, shut up," I scowl. "You killed Harry's parents. You're the murderer, not Sirius."

He trembles under everybody's stare.

"Lucky for you, he decided to turn you in instead of killing you." Lupin's eyebrows rise in surprise at Sirius. "He's going to get the fair trial that he was denied twelve years ago."

"We should go now, and take him to the castle," Hermione says nervously, glancing at Professor Snape.

"Yes," he drawls. "Perhaps we should."

"Put him back in the jar," I say quickly, seeing many problems that may arise if something happened and he changed back into a rat.

"Yes," Lupin praises. "Peter? Back into a rat now."

Peter shudders at the raised wands at him before shrinking back down.

Sirius scoops him back up before he could so much as twitch, and shoves the lid onto the jar.

He meets my gaze, eyes shining in the dim lighting, and holds it out to me. "I trust you'll get him to the castle?"

I nod, speechless with what he's trusting me with.

Without Pettigrew, his innocence could never be proved. He trusts me with both his and Harry's future.

"Thank you," I say, and he smiles at me as Snape and Lupin lead the way out of the Shrieking Shack.

Ron and Hermione fall into step ahead and behind me while Harry speaks with his godfather.

"You should have told us." Hermione says from behind me.

"I've only known for a little over a week," I defend weakly, clutching the jar closer to my chest.

"And we wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't shown us Scabbers was... Scabbers was actually Pettigrew."

It surprises me that Ron defends me.

From when we first meet, he was not very friendly towards me just for being in Slytherin, but since I saved Ginny he's been nice enough. Still, he's always been the one I was least close to. Even Fred and George probably came before him. He was also the one who accused me of helping Black to try to kill Harry.

Hermione makes a grunt of a noise and stays quiet for several minutes.

"Did I do the right thing?" I ask softly, hoping for her to tell me that I'm forgiven.

"I don't know Alex; things did turn out okay... But you know that you can still tell us anything, right?"

Her hands envelop my empty one, caressing my knuckles in a soothing way, making me again wonder if she knows something, or at least suspects.

My mind flashes to every hit that I have taken from my father, from my bullies, and then linger on my biggest of all secrets.

"But I can't," my voice surprises me in coming out in a rasp. "You wouldn't look at me the same."

I tug my hand away as I trip on an incline, clutching the jar Pettigrew is in tightly with both hands.

It feels lonely in the dark again; I'd never be able to tell that anyone was around if not for the occasional scrape of a shoe or the soft murmurs behind me. Knowing the secrets that I keep must always stay to myself is the loneliest thing I've felt all year.

We finally emerge from the tunnel.

We tramp slowly through the grounds, the castle light growing slowly larger. I hold Pettigrew tighter, relief just staring in my chest that this mess is over when-

A cloud shifts, casting dim shadows and bathing us in moonlight.

Snape spins as Lupin freezes, my own legs locking as I reach to pull Ron, who was just a few steps ahead, back.

Lupin's limbs start to shake.

"Oh, my-" Hermione gasps, pulling me roughly backwards by my cloak even as I was already backing away. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispers from behind. "Run. Now."

A terrible snarling rips through Lupin's lengthening head and hunching shoulders, his hands sprouting fur as they curl into claws. Crookshanks's hair stands on end, backing away.

A scream lodges in my throat as Sirius streaks past me as Snuffles, meeting teeth and claws with the rearing werewolf.

The enormous bear like dog seizes the werewolf by the neck and drags it backwards away from us.

As Sirius chases the werewolf into the woods, the jar trembles in my hands, but I just clench it tighter so there's no chance of the rat's escape.

Fear has me frozen to the spot, staring at the place Sirius had disappeared into the trees. I'm shaking head to toe, palms and my feet inside my boots sweating, but when I hear the dog's yelp and whine of pain, I don't hesitate or even think.

"Sirius," I call, dashing forward with little thought or common sense.

Harry and Hermione easily catch up, though Snap snags the back of Ron's robes to hold him back.

I charge at my hardest sprint towards the yelping, which seems to be coming from the direction of the lake, and I'm exerting myself so much that I don't immediately notice the air get colder.

The crying whines stops abruptly and I immediately spot why.

Sirius is a man again, crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

"Nooo," he moans. "Noooo...please..."

And then when I see them, the sudden dawning of the feeling and coldness hit me like a physical force. My knees buckle, hitting the ground with a dull thud as hundreds upon hundreds of dementors close in, a sea of dark cloaks surrounding us.

"Alex, Hermione, think something happy!" I dimly hear Harry shouting, but I can't respond any to reply.

I feel the ghosting blow of every single one of my father's delivered hits all at once. There is a deep seeping cold that reaches far into my bones, crushing my chest with the all too familiar loneliness. It's so overwhelmingly strong that it constricts my throat, rendering me unable to suck in a breath.

"Expecto patronum!" Harry shouts from the end of a closing tunnel. "Alex! Hermione, help me! Expecto patronum!"

Faintly, I feel myself tip over. Tears stream in rivers from my eyes as I hear my father's calm angry voice whispering, and feel all the loneliness of twelve years of growing up in an empty house crush my chest.

I struggle to gasp in a breath as a silent sob always stops it before I can get enough air, and I curl into myself.

My vision disappears entirely, the wisps of reality fading with it as I'm once again left in the dark.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I dream of home: my first memory surfacing of me asking Lena why I didn't ever seen my daddy.

Her floppy ears had drooped, big brown eyes looking down on me.

"Your father loves you, Alex. So much that he can't bear to look at you. You remind him of your mother, and he loved her dearly," she had told me.

It's a different time, different memory of me peeking around the door to my father's office.

I had been so excited because I got up especially early that day to help Lena make his breakfast. I had run into the room, plate held out in front of me so he could see, and my toe snagged on the rug. The syrup slathered pancakes landed all over the paperwork he was doing.

I remember his shout and him spinning so fast in his chair before I was knocked backward, a fire burning in my cheek.

I remember him picking me up from the back of my nightgown and tossing me out of the room before the door shut and the lock clicked.

Another memory surfaces and mixes with others of me sitting up in my too large room, feeling as if everything was way too far and out of reach, and hyperventilating, and then charging to my wardrobe, and slamming the door shut behind me.

It was a little easier to breath with walls cradling my shoulders and back, and one of my dresses brushing my cheek like another human touch.

I open my eyes blearily to a familiar white room, hot tears still cooling on my cheeks.

I sniff hard, drawing attention from the others in the room. Seeing their disheveled appearance, events quickly catch up in my brain and I sit up fast.

"Sirius!" I gasp.

"Hey, hey, hey," Hermione says softly, climbing into my bed to hug me around the shoulders. "It's okay, calm down."

My chest still aches with cold.

"It's not okay, what happened to Sirius? I didn't get Pettigrew to the castle, even though I promised. He trusted me and I failed!" I gasp, sniffing as new tears fall. A headache throbs in my left temple.

"Alex," Hermione soothes, "you didn't fail. You held on pretty tightly to that jar, and once Snape told Dumbledore what was going on, they changed him back from a rat. They know that he's alive and he was taken into custody for questioning."

"What happened to Sirius; where is he?" I whisper, wiping at my eyes.

Harry sits down on my other side, awkwardly placing a hand on my shoulder.

"He was taken into custody too, but he's going to get a fair trial now. The ministry is questioning everything, and people are going to start wondering why he never got a trial in the first place."

I nod. "Good," I sniff.

Madam Pomfrey breezes into the room with an entire bar of chocolate. She gives me a pointed and exasperated look along with the chocolate, as if once again telling me that I'm in that room way too much.

I smile sheepishly, sitting quietly as she checks a few things.

After she leaves, I turn back to my friends.

"What happened with the dementors?" I whisper lowly, the after affects still burning in the back of my mind.

Hermione and Harry exchange looks with Ron.

"Snape floated us back up to the castle and then we went back in time for Harry to do the Patronus to scare them all away." Ron responds.

I nod, pulling away slightly from Hermione now that I have all the important answers.

I turn over, pulling the covers up to my chin. Several seconds pass in silence and motionlessness.

"Alex..." Harry starts.

"Are you okay?" Hermione finishes.

I take a small bite of my chocolate, closing my eyes, as the cold in my chest finally seems to lift some.

"I'm fine," I say but they don't seem to believe me this time. Maybe they never believed me.

"Can I get you anything?" Ron asks awkwardly from the end of my bed.

My mind immediately flashes to my best friend, how she might not even know that anything happened tonight, and how I always feel at peace in her arms even after just being assaulted by my housemates.

"Ginny," I mumble, even as I know that Ginny would not be visiting tonight.

I drift back to sleep as the following silence drags on for too long.

...

We get let out of the hospital wing the next day by noon, and Ginny is there to greet me at the door.

She flings herself at me and I'm barely able to catch her before I topple to the ground. I giggle, the lingering loneliness immediately washing away.

"Hey," I greet as she pushes herself off me some.

"You brainless git; you could have died!"

I grin up at her cheekily until her scowl finally drops. She sighs, rolling her eyes before pulling me back to my feet.

"Let's go; you're going to tell me everything that happened and explain why exactly you didn't tell me what was going on before."

"Alright," I easily relent. "Hey, do you know where-"

I break off as she hands me Astrid from the inside of her robes.

"She snuck into my dorm last night- I guess when you didn't come back."

"Thanks," I say gratefully, scratching my kitten's ears.

...

The train ride home was way too short in my opinion.

Ginny and I had gotten a compartment to ourselves to talk quietly about Sirius Black's case and Harry.

The Boy-Who-Lived would not be able to live with his godfather yet, as he's still going through a hail storm of trials and interrogations and other political head-achy stuff. So Harry, to his great disappointment, is headed back to the Dursleys'.

"The Quidditch World Cup is in England this year and dad is trying to get us all tickets," Ginny tells me, snacking on a pumpkin pastry that I bought her. "He's wanting to take Harry too."

I bite my lip hard, twirling my finger through my melting chocolate frog.

"That's nice of you guys, to take him. I'm certain he'd be really excited."

"Well what about you- are you coming?"

I bob my head. "My father will most likely be going and bring me along. So, who do you think Dumbledore will get to be the new defense against the dark arts professor next year?" I ask, quickly changing the subject.

To almost everybody's disappointment, Lupin quit once him being a werewolf got out. I personally really liked him. He was cool, and nice, and a good professor.

All too soon, the Hogwarts Express is pulling into Kings Cross Station and I'm levitating my trunk to a cart.

I quickly say goodbye to my friends before ducking my head and slinking through the crowd in search of my impatiently waiting father.

He greets me with a firm hand on my shoulder and leads me to the doors.

"We have a houseguest staying with us this summer so you are to stay out of the dining room," he tells me.

I tilt my head to look up at him.

A houseguest? This has never happened before, who could it be?

"Who?" I ask mindlessly, being rewarded with a painful squeeze.

"That is none of your concern. You are to stay in your room, Lena will serve you your meals there."

I nod my head obediently, shifting under the weight of his hand and my own heavy trunk.


End file.
